tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76409607646096939252024-03-17T20:03:38.923-07:00PooBahSpielThe creative world of Mark Monlux as expressed through his comics, videos and pontifications.PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.comBlogger1138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-43004976262927412602024-03-15T16:13:00.000-07:002024-03-15T16:13:10.512-07:00Friday Night Movie Recommendation #18 "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad" (1958)<iframe width="480" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/uPYyNU_YSXs?si=IlHrm71AXZW4FjNm" frameborder="0"></iframe>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-38473952641047673972024-03-01T15:22:00.000-08:002024-03-01T15:22:42.384-08:00Friday Night Movie Recommendation #16 "The Curse of the Werewolf" (1961)<iframe width="480" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/PmlKo-xQl3w?si=LyxO51KOdcAtPs7v" frameborder="0"></iframe>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-49090850489585211172024-02-27T15:51:00.000-08:002024-02-27T15:51:23.699-08:00Unboxing: Killer Klown Sticker #3 "Spike"<iframe style="background-image:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VO27UnfCjF4/hqdefault.jpg)" width="480" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/VO27UnfCjF4?si=pgIHI4kDmv8lq0ue" frameborder="0"></iframe>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-14879800270248132302024-02-02T18:17:00.000-08:002024-02-02T18:17:16.424-08:00Unboxing: Something different from Stickermule<iframe width="480" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/Vcn7ncQNFd0?si=v3eOluXzekF2RFas" frameborder="0"></iframe>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-84540627607597745062024-01-03T15:29:00.000-08:002024-01-03T15:30:56.295-08:00Unboxing: Stickers<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/QF6hvKHsMm0?si=2P1JfG3zPCi0HybZ" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QF6hvKHsMm0/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-61991473219480064342023-12-30T12:55:00.000-08:002023-12-30T12:55:38.336-08:00My review of "Assistant to the Villian"<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6098728874#_=_" target="_blank">My review of "Assistant to the Villian"</a><br /><br /></p>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-55316460144902012132023-12-14T14:48:00.000-08:002023-12-14T14:48:41.135-08:00Unboxing: Kiss-Cut Stickers<iframe width="480" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/ncWcDIyx_yg?si=WDXmp_21LAiD7h4I" frameborder="0"></iframe>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-77676721903135930072023-11-18T22:18:00.000-08:002023-11-18T22:18:02.974-08:00Unboxing: Two Boxes!<iframe width="480" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/8MpTaPfwne8?si=qBHtTHQgl97gxgc8" frameborder="0"></iframe>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-92028688594294751822023-11-17T13:37:00.000-08:002023-11-18T22:18:24.963-08:00Friday Night Movie Recommendation #9 "Forbidden Planet" (1956)<iframe style="background-image:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nbsnYhgAdLE/hqdefault.jpg)" width="480" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/nbsnYhgAdLE?si=Bh6KtH56ezDytFsN" frameborder="0"></iframe>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-78503437946589563712023-11-14T13:39:00.000-08:002023-11-14T13:39:48.880-08:00Unboxing: Horror Movie Bingo Cards 3rd Printing<iframe style="background-image:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vuV93peVXpU/hqdefault.jpg)" width="480" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/vuV93peVXpU?si=Y3f8tgXI1BGePHXK" frameborder="0"></iframe>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-21546199653255404302023-11-09T16:25:00.001-08:002023-11-09T16:25:56.550-08:00Unboxing: Killer Klown Pins - third batch<iframe width="480" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/miBC1aHOT_Q?si=UOy4VjuN7Py5G5WS" frameborder="0"></iframe>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-1568101947222272972023-10-16T07:54:00.002-07:002023-10-16T07:54:16.766-07:00Unboxing: Stickers. The right ones!<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/zNUjmE7Ngg8?si=5_1mxSMJGLrgu5DT" width="480"></iframe><div>Check out my YouTube Channel for additional unboxing videos.</div>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-71106598476302022012023-09-22T15:22:00.001-07:002023-09-22T15:22:12.593-07:00Friday Night Movie Recommendation #1 "I Married A Monster from Outer Spa...<iframe style="background-image:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KNm5uEk2oj8/hqdefault.jpg)" width="480" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/KNm5uEk2oj8?si=wyTUNEq69n2qF8lz" frameborder="0"></iframe>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-28930493633349761582023-09-20T09:07:00.003-07:002023-09-20T09:08:42.170-07:00Unboxing: Stickers before Oly-Stickerfest<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/2FunHt9-4sk?si=bo6-FoOuqt5q9TCH" width="480"></iframe><div>I'm excited about participating in Oly-Stickerfest. It's going to be a small show. There are only forty-seven tables, and I'm table 47. And it's only for four hours. So head there immediately on Saturday as the hours are from 12-4.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGBFHCOdlGuN-pMGsSloOYtPRyPBiz09xjyHJ8iqyDhlDPpWR3h7wuDYYW-le29fF5FaShLrQF9fllNrzypIzERsD4SMCU9h1bF1hEfCrpXoS3M05zZoEXDmWcKTwDdwy8D7D3JFNsnVaNV6px-uBZ7so0oHD1cyzXPsg_CxqnWSJGAh1vgtQwZ1jFuo/s1226/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-20%20at%209.06.41%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="1226" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGBFHCOdlGuN-pMGsSloOYtPRyPBiz09xjyHJ8iqyDhlDPpWR3h7wuDYYW-le29fF5FaShLrQF9fllNrzypIzERsD4SMCU9h1bF1hEfCrpXoS3M05zZoEXDmWcKTwDdwy8D7D3JFNsnVaNV6px-uBZ7so0oHD1cyzXPsg_CxqnWSJGAh1vgtQwZ1jFuo/w398-h397/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-20%20at%209.06.41%20AM.png" width="398" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">BTW If you like reading the Weekly Dose of Mark, reach out to me to get on a unique mailing list just for it.</div><br /><div><br /></div>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-14254712953393900392023-07-30T21:34:00.002-07:002023-07-30T21:37:12.355-07:00Weekly Dose of Mark<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKAgaM676CiStLMOemjTHd83Hrptci-tSsukZ5817zysPLN7cAKKnrZrf2T8j7B4bW_fKmmreD22LTatzF-sxgEGRIzJawLP4G23mWeDJNO6GNWhY-YH33XWK4gpI8778bXGtAAy8cUvHs6U9nGGGBgQMxV5NEHgyW8lTL5fm1QZz4TIanjQzT6NEfns/s668/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-30%20at%206.55.34%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="668" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKAgaM676CiStLMOemjTHd83Hrptci-tSsukZ5817zysPLN7cAKKnrZrf2T8j7B4bW_fKmmreD22LTatzF-sxgEGRIzJawLP4G23mWeDJNO6GNWhY-YH33XWK4gpI8778bXGtAAy8cUvHs6U9nGGGBgQMxV5NEHgyW8lTL5fm1QZz4TIanjQzT6NEfns/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-30%20at%206.55.34%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b> </b><p></p><b><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Sunday, July 30th 2023 • 07/30/23</span></b><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Allen Gladfelter drove both Greg Spence Wolf and me to Freelance Fandango. We arrived at the Red Elm Café to find a notice on the door that they were closed today due to staff shortage. I checked my phone, and sure enough, there was a voicemail from the owner telling me this. Somehow I missed it. So Greg left a sign on the door that Freelance Fandango will be held at our backup Corina’s Bakery. As Allen drove us over, I sent texts to Jennevieve, Stowe, Corry, and Anique. I asked if I had forgotten anyone. Don’t forget Nori! I sent Nori a text. Only later, when Stan strolled in and gave me a stern look, I forgot to text him. He teased me about it. Who do you forget to text? The one guy who is always at this thing. Allen asked me as the meeting ended what I would include in my write-up on the meeting. Will it be Nori’s gift to me of Japanese stamps and the stories of his visit with his mother there? Would it be Stan’s graphic novel that he received as a Kickstarter reward? Or would it be Stowe telling us about his daughter’s wonderful time at the Taylor Swift concert? How the wristbands were electronic and lit up creating patterns in the crowd to go with the music. I looked over at him, and he saw it in my eye. You’re going to write up the venue change, aren’t you? Yes, Allen. Yes, I am.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Wednesday night, I was enjoying dinner with Krista. I’d rescheduled The Grand Drawing Room live drawing event to begin at 6:30 rather than 6:00 just to have a non-rushed dinner. But, at 5:50, I got an email from Payton DeSanta, our model for the evening. She was letting me know that she’d arrived and that others were also showing up. So I sent her a text saying I was on my way. I quickly finished the few bites left on my plate and rushed out the door. I thanked everyone who showed up early for having the drawing session as a regular habit and encouraged them to attend at the new time. I’ll have to make a point of stressing the new time during the next wave of announcements. We had fifteen artists show up. In my correspondence with Payton, I’d encouraged her to go with a lighter, thinner costume because of the heat. She was very proud of her armor and wanted to show it off. She got a little woozy and had to take a break at one point. As she got back into position, I cheerfully mumbled in a mom’s tone. “Why don’t you wear the green costume? I asked. It might be better in case that space gets hot. But, no. You wanted to show off the armor.” Peyoton turned her head coyly at me and, with a surgery grin lacking any sweetness, said, “When you’re right. You’re right.” I zipped my lip, then. No need to say anything more about it. At least not without her whacking me over the head with some of that foam armor.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Saturday was very full. First up was Vince and Kim Kurter’s party at Farm 12 in Puyallup. The catered room was very large and not part of the main restaurant. There were easily fifty people there. The idea was to have this as their wedding reception, 60th birthday party, and all the other stuff they would have done with friends during the pandemic. I met Vince through the Pythians. But we had lots of mutual connections from his time working at newspapers. Breakfast was delicious. There was a fun little art project happening on the side involving rulers, scrabble pieces, glue, and stickers. I met people who were involved in the Tacoma writing scene, specifically Creative Coloquoly.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I’ve recently done illustrations for their anthologies. When the party began to wind down there, I said goodbye to Vince and Kim and went home. I did stop briefly at the fruit stand I parked close to and picked up a half flat of raspberries and blueberries. The next party I went to was a gathering at Greg Wolfe’s house. This was a smaller affair of about ten people. I took over some blackberries I picked in the yard. I had some salt and pepper potato chips and two of the three fruit salads people brought. We were hanging out in Greg and Paulet’s yard in event chairs under an apple tree. I got a call from Krista asking me where the funnel was hiding. She was busy taking the berries I brought home and turning them into berry syrup. The recipe called for a lot more sugar than she was willing to put into the syrup. But I wasn’t going to tell her to add more. Her instincts for cooking are far better than mine. So I went home, a mere four-block walk, and located the funnel for her so she could keep on task. Our plan was to go to the Bon Festival at the Buddist Temple together. But apparently, all the work in the kitchen had tired her out. She had been planning on going right up to the moment when she wasn’t. I went down to the temple to give the Buddist Temple some support by buying their Strawberry Mochi, which Krista loves. The food line stretched down the block. I got in line and enjoyed running into Nori and his daughters. Sweat Pea was there selling books on Buddhism. But I didn’t see any other familiar faces. By the time I got inside the building, I’d decided I was going to pick up some roasted eel. I wanted to see if it was better than the roasted eel I found in the freezer at Paldo and H Mart. I texted Krista and asked if she wanted some and picked up both of our dinners for the evening. I stuck around long enough to watch some of the drumming. Then it was home to eat eel.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Alley News</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I went on a walk with Pat this week. The afternoon was cooler, and I’ve been trying to walk twice each day. There is a new feature on Pokemon Go called Routes. There should be a way to use them and to create them. However, it’s a new feature, and we complained about not being able to locate it on the app. I did some research online and found that it flat out wasn’t working for a lot of people. In the meantime, Pat sends me texts showing the photos of all the new Pokemon he’s catching. I have most, but he’s been catching a couple not in my collections.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">A squirrel mocks me as it sits next to and on top of the squirrel trap. Krista reports that she saw the orange cat with white feet run across our backyard with a mouse in its mouth. Kill honing those skills, killer. Greg, who lives a couple of blocks down and across the street, has been catching feral cats and kittens. One of the kittens is orange with white feet. I meant to ask Greg about his feral cat catching at his party but forgot.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">My neighbor, Button, called out to me as I was walking home earlier this week. The extension of her house comes right up to my property line. She asked if I would remove the tree next to her house because she was worried about it rubbing against the paint. The “tree” was a large native fern I’ve been encouraging for decades. These ferns don’t transplant well. I told Buttons I would build a trellis to keep it away from her house. But Krista said that wouldn’t work and I should remove it. I managed to transplant a fern once before successfully. It was over at my parent’s house. I’d also successfully transplanted a trillium. So I’ve dug up the fern. I should have prepared a hole for it before I pulled it out to the ground. But the day was getting warm, and I was overheating. I think I know just the spot that will be perfect for it. It will have the same amount of shade as before. And if it takes, it will look good. I think Buttons will be a lot happier now once she sees that the plant is gone.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Zucchini, beans, and cucumbers are being harvested daily from our garden. Krista has been busy making Lemon zucchini bread. She just tried an experiment with blueberry lemon bread. She said it had a bit of a blowout when she took it out to the pan. The blowout tasted delicious. Her next batch will be chocolate Zucchini bread. It was only earlier this month that we finished eating all of the frozen Zucchini bread from last year. Maybe our friends, family and neighbors will end up with some again.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Here are some of my dreams:</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 24</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXSRkpBt4BHZQH79ogoB-e1fvq_qx1KAKRJYXNvXMP30_Ihb_Df63C9vlq-enLwpmWpYZsfskGfjC36UPRbGE6WE9H6LDgneMkLSxxifZBzILVr5r5J9YEpp6vsL8KiUER4QLeDmzR0pTPrlsX_c2OC&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/michael.mcmurphy.73?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXSRkpBt4BHZQH79ogoB-e1fvq_qx1KAKRJYXNvXMP30_Ihb_Df63C9vlq-enLwpmWpYZsfskGfjC36UPRbGE6WE9H6LDgneMkLSxxifZBzILVr5r5J9YEpp6vsL8KiUER4QLeDmzR0pTPrlsX_c2OC&__tn__=-%5DK-R" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Michael McMurphy</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> and I were investigating strange goings on at a campsite. I went in undercover and got a job as a busboy at a diner adjacent to the campsite.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 25</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVJfycWg4LaHTKmlMLM3iV2Ia3G2AfTcWhIWZJ2uodl3DItNH162oPdpjb-3ab4sOEeev_dhK23eHH-Der4vijZw_Euh0_RG7XzsOdzYGlxZk0tbESU0FrkpDhixQCK--ySMe9Tl-S6D-0YeAWmA15W&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I was a wizard sent back to 1950 to observe. But I got drunk and created a poorly CAD-rendered starship Enterprise, about seven feet long, to randomly fly around town. I was going to be in trouble when it hit the timeline.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 26</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVDQHHyEf6Sd1WuegJvFL8ITIF_idMAsRnFhyRWbYITGS5HXKUGlWCx9NEPKwlGtsZAEQ8uKvbEmIRqdPBTjUQayOehHvOS7eOo8koWapbE0_aAyFo9smfbVFTgfWRarU7rM1RFpVrh2ZiCcsejgYzV&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> new internet portals emerged. Yale University was rivaling Netflix. Their slogan: “When you need to post, post-Yale.”</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 27</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I must have died again. </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWfsDPsPepTjkogAqJ7WzF1T-qbTlbC2CiMBVcFny24JDaJGs5M8nQPDdh7qn_afrEGLmpATYzmTMRfFPzE609VQeG_Cask-1dchG4QzAZ0ZvgEiCTW0CBLloYa3Pt3XksrCozEQiKR4BWZaqzinn0U&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I was in a waiting room with Sinead O’Connor designing an album cover. The title was “Derick is Dead.” Our conversation: “The revolver should be near the corner.” “Obviously.”</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 28</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUzbCxI-Y00BFiWW9hYs5CG_RWfvjADmdtIjv95tvqr0o78ODBzgfE-TK0OaSYeGtpLg1tewgmyBmMIzolvcwHygkxnMw4G0ZZ6l5nKX3oHp6SAkxVzuNoSfTI0rr7nO0fhC5Q7c1LG-Iw6EhYQ5bQ3&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> While waiting for Mick Jagger to arrive, I was examining an odd hibachi grill designed by John Denver. A maid told me the sushi arrived. I wonder why, if there was a maid, I’d been assigned to change the sheets?</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">It’s been well over a month since I mentioned the audiobooks I’ve enjoyed. I’m way behind on writing reviews for them on GoodReads. Most of the last couple of months have been escapist fantasies or memoirs. If you are curious about my reading history, you can check out my GoodReads account: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1127263-mark</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“Winter in Paradise” by Elin Hilderbrand, June 18, Rating: 7</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“The Daughters of Isdihar” By Hadeer Eisbai, Jun 22, Rating: 6</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“Throne of Glass” Sara J. Maas, Jun 29, Rating: 5</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“Ninth House” by Leigh Bardugo, June 29, Rating: 7</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“Nettle and Bone” by T. Kingfisher, July, Rating: 7</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“The Warded Man” by Peter V Brett, July 3, Rating: 5</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“The Hollow Places” by T. Kingfisher, July 8, Rating: 6</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“The Memory Thief” by Lauren Mansy, July 14, Rating: 4</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“Carnival of Snackery” by David Sedaris July 19, Rating: 8</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner July 24, Rating: 5</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“Calypso” by David Sedaris July 29, Rating: 8</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“The Children on the Hill” by Jennifer McMahon, July 29, Rating 6</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">This book reminds me of some of the horror books I would read back in the ’80s. It’s set up horror, where little hints are presented, and he sees if you can guess where the writer is going. Will the story go to the left or to the right? Will a guess turn out to be correct, or did we extend our assumptions too far? The innocence of children is volleyed back and forth with the cruelty of a tennis match that doesn’t worry about the wear of the ball. Checked out from the library on an application called Libby.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">68.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 22</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) Rating: 6</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">As I went to the Friday Night Frights showing at the Blue Mouse Theater, I wondered if I’d seen this movie before. Allen Gladfelter picked me up, and then we picked up Mark Brill, who’d created the poster for this showing of the movie, before carpooling to the destination. It was the first kill in the movie that reminded me I’d seen it, probably on VHS with a rented machine back in the ’80s when you’d through your lot in with a bunch of strangers to do a marathon of rentals overnight before returning the machine the next day. This time I was in an audience that loves trashy, dated films like these. I sell bingo cards with horror tropes on them. My friends were calling out tropes from memory as we tried to keep a body count. This exploitation slasher pleased everyone. Maybe it will take me another forty years to forget the details.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">69.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 22</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Oppenheimer (2023) Rating: 8</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I’m suffering from movie afterglow. I wasn’t expecting much from this film and was completely blown away. There are multiple plot lines that weave together so skilfully that you don’t realize the overall big picture is a rope of a plotline. All the actors gave high performances. Allen Gladfelter treated me to this movie at the Grand Cinema.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">70.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 23</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Bird Box Barcelona (2023) Rating: 7</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">This is not a sequel to “Bird Box,” which came out in 2018. Rather it is a story told in the same world, at a different location in the world. The story dives a bit deeper into madness, treachery, and perception. I was going to give it a slightly lower score than the first film in the franchise, but I gave it an extra point for having a dog with a name. I watched it on Netflix.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">71.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 29</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Saw (2004) Rating: 6</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I can’t believe it took me nearly twenty years to get around to watching this movie. At least now I’ll feel better about watching the rest of the franchise. I couldn’t have helped to see clips, parodies, and spoilers in those long years. Still, it holds up fairly well, and I’m curious to see if the writing will be as tight as in the rest of the franchise. I can also see how this film influenced others that followed. I watched it on a DVD from Netflix.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-11583168441521747452023-07-21T17:32:00.003-07:002023-07-21T17:32:28.213-07:00Weekly Dose of Mark<p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWi6aA3e7_prKeaoteA-0MCz46QdarZVOZ05vSqPRSQOnkU_SjATH-2_c5yxGMOg9GQoPaZYihZkDM6_x2BAKoOqMwjlDDUdgO2R57Y9cVW0G_vRTHr1KTFhDoY_Uddv72OZimpZTTIwFeV50HDt-nXM5v5wNZoJ-ipXxHbB24c2aTZ8cs6pzI3ExY7BE/s792/takayasu-pillow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="792" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWi6aA3e7_prKeaoteA-0MCz46QdarZVOZ05vSqPRSQOnkU_SjATH-2_c5yxGMOg9GQoPaZYihZkDM6_x2BAKoOqMwjlDDUdgO2R57Y9cVW0G_vRTHr1KTFhDoY_Uddv72OZimpZTTIwFeV50HDt-nXM5v5wNZoJ-ipXxHbB24c2aTZ8cs6pzI3ExY7BE/w403-h386/takayasu-pillow.jpg" width="403" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p><b><span style="color: #0e101a;">Friday, July 21st, 2023 • 07/21/23</span></b>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">On Monday the car didn’t start. I texted Greg
Spencer Wolf and told him I could not pick him up. He asked if I needed him to
come over to jump-start the car, and I agreed. It took him a while to find the
right alley because he was looking on the wrong side of the street. The car was
locked in park, so we couldn’t move it out of the garage. With the car in the
garage, our cables were not long enough. I left Greg and Krista looking through
the manual to get my neighbor Don’s electric starter. Greg and Krista
discovered a way to unpark the car in the manual, but by then, Don was over
with the starter. Don tried to open the battery to check the water but with no
luck. I thanked him and Greg. After I told Greg I was going to go to the
battery store, he drove on his own down to Fandango. During all of this, I
called Stowe to let him know I couldn’t pick him up. The battery store said the
battery was still under warranty, but checking it showed it was back to 80%.
Krista told me the inside cab light had been left on. I remember going out to
search through the glove compartment the day before. I must have left it on,
and it drained the battery. I was only an hour late to Freelance Fandango, where
Greg, Jennevieve, Stan, and Penny were kind enough not to tease me too much.
The KitKat flavor was cookies and cream, which the group found to be too sweet.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Krista and I have enjoyed watching Sumo this
week. It’s the July Basho. There’s a changing of the guard happening. Several
of the players we’ve cheered on over the years are either retiring or falling
into the lower rankings. There’s a lot of young blood coming in, and I do mean
young. One of the youngest is a nineteen-year-old whose hair still isn’t long
enough to form a topknot. We are watching to see if early injuries will shorten
their career. A sport that is basically king-of-the-hill sees a lot of
injuries. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a basho where a player didn’t bleed or
withdraw from injury. I won’t bore you with statistics. Just know that for 30
minutes in the day, sometimes in the morning, more often in the afternoon or
evening, Krista and I are calling out the names of who we think will win and
howling in agony or triumph at close calls, just like football or baseball
fans. We don’t wear any sports colors, but I did have a Takayasu pillow I wave
about.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">This week I’ve been taking my daily walks in the
morning while it is still cool. I was finishing my walk around Wapato Park and
saw children playing in front of the civic center. This is the time of year
when it is used as a location for children to come and play with supervision. A
group of what must have been eight-year-olds were playing musical chairs on the
grass. My best guess is that it was early in the game. There were at least ten
chairs to be circled, with only a couple having been set aside. The organizers
were pros at this. I could see that they were drawing out the game as long as
they could, so the tension would be high for both those watching and
participating. The kids were all smiling, laughing, jumping, and waving their
arms. It was a charming scene and a perfect way to bring my walk to a close.
I’m trying to remember the last time I played that game. Was it in grade
school? I have less than a memory, an inkling perhaps, of playing it in college
in the dorm commons. Earlier in my walk, I was laughing. I was on a dirt path
surrounded by birds singing, bright greens of plants and trees around me, a
warm sunny day with a light breeze, and all was right in the world. You really
have to enjoy those moments when they happen.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I was happy to find a nickel on the sidewalk
during one of my morning walks. I’m lucky if I find a penny. I’ve found
quarters and dimes, but finding a nickel was not bad at all. It was just as I
was thinking this that I spotted a folded five-dollar bill. I truly couldn’t
believe my luck. I thought it must be torn in half. But, no, it was an intact
five-dollar bill. As I tucked it into my pocket, I realized that this was going
to jump out in the statistics I keep of picked-up money. The total for 2021 was
$1.06. 2022 was $1.35. When I got home, I told my wife I found a nickel.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“WooHoo,” she said cheerfully.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“That’s what I thought,” I said. “But a few
footsteps later, I found this.” I snapped the five-dollar bill out between my
two hands like I was holding up a shirt.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“I five dollar bill!” I announced.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“Ooooooooo!” She admired.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">There’s a new lost dog bulletin posted on a
utility pole near the post office. A 12-year-old Chihuahua Dautson mix ran away
on the 4th of July. I wonder if the fireworks scared him out of his senses. I
also wonder if he ever made it home safely and if their owner never bothered to
take down the signs. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">The Weird Cabal is a group of artists I organized
to create movie posters for the Grand Cinema’s Weird Elephant series. Wade, the
fellow in charge of scheduling movies at the Grand, told me he planned on
getting “The Wicker Man.” I usually will let the entire group put “dibs” in on
a film. But I’ve not done a poster in months and wanted to do it, so I started
the artwork for the poster even before Wade officially announced it. The rest
of the group forgave me. The Grand announced that one of the movies they will
be showing is “The Cabinet of Dr. Calgori.” I would love to do a movie poster
for that classic, but I’d already claimed “The Wicker Man.” It wasn’t long
before Brill and Stowe both put in dibs. I mentioned I wanted to do it, too but
knew I’d have to let someone else take it. Stowe suggested that all the members
of the Cabal do a poster. Just as this idea gained traction, Wade stepped in
and said that both “The Cabinet of Dr. Calgori” and “Nosferatu” had their own
group that toured with the films and sold their posters. They didn’t want to
have to split sales. He apologized for not mentioning that sooner. I’m still
thinking about doing a poster, which I can always sell at my other shows. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Alley News</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">There was a flurry of activity outside my
window. It was the young grey cat hot on the heels of a grey squirrel. He must
have caught him by surprise because this squirrel was practically under its
claws. Had the cat a little more experience, the squirrel would have been a
goner instead of finally managing an escape through some bushes. I opened the front
door, complimented the cat for his fine efforts, and set up the squirrel trap.
I told Krista about the excitement. A couple of hours later, I reported the
squirrel was in the trap. “Already?” she asked. I loaded the trap into the
trunk and drove it to Sprinker Center. Their large parking lot is under
renovation. Most of it was torn up. I had to park near the edge of the road in
what spaces were remaining. The squirrel had four options, through the tall
temporary chainlink into the dirt and dust of the parking lot construction,
across the street to the golf course, across another street to Goodwill and
strip mall, or to a large lone pine tree set next to the side of the road. It
chose the pine tree. As I put the trap back into the trunk, I noticed a portable
surveillance camera. It was part of a trailer unit with a tall telescoping pole
with a camera on top. I’m sure it was used to check the perimeter of the
parking lot. I wondered if it was on and if anyone was going to be amused by a
few seconds of footage. The next day I noticed there was another squirrel in
the yard. I’d reset the trap, and the varmint was digging around next to it.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">July 15</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZV2gdVxDb6dBrCLUEE2cKIiUrYPJJ_t1PrANsYEqMZ82NpRBNuvyWHrtcSzZpi6dvhPACpcedLEQhqVxPYPmQwB5tl7-TAWY9f16oJJmtwvkDcY_hmLsAdcdf535pBxr6D7wUH1rUdWxoHF7fV4K1lJ&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> I called my wife over to the
window to see a goldfinch. Then I realized it was a Robin-sized, yellow,
orange, and black. What type of bird is that? I asked.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">July 17</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVIWspadUnAeZGxKXqxDNRzxq0Bk1EyHZYw-ILhtziUUhwwl4pu6nh58WBlIZPHElH9mgnLDozRuKtArpuHG89S74rS95566R9NimkK3dDSsnWplMg29x-ByXHaLe89-dXM09DI0sD0f3x9818lo8fH&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> I lived in one of the outer
dimensions. My job was to adjust the filters to make it look better than it was
to encourage choosing it as a destination. Most dimensions travel was one way.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">July 18</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVMTxJvtnkb-odJeUmaQTvVMsY0VPyr6zTvtJFHJAKTgpYNoOGHr7q8oIdWSyWIb_8ABu4a_DQVQ1WAC9HIXkOIKgDlMnMc4YMk4dD2JRFq0srKnqhwkaDTj-gCECjMoewnVfA_3q4znNyOTgQCaqNJ&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> my family was at a fishing lodge
in Forks when the river flooded overnight. The water was at the doorstep. My
late grandmother arrived complaining she was cold. I bundled her up in a chair
next to the fireplace.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">July 19</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVXEMJhsUEFF6CQp-xizdft-Xf1racDUJ91ijnwSXFfhUYX9c9fByA3ad_FntoJ9fU-UsDVpgQE9i2brSyLKNgjX9DDSVO-_9Cq6Qf8Q6q4EfwJDat-GMnbdlsIGP_XhmVkRMnkYOOzoopGNEuL59je&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> the characters from my recent
dreams were creating a competition chart. Some of the criteria for judgment
would be non-sequiturs of conversations and erratic movement.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">July 20</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVUhbHlovVG_ZNYT9zca_Z0qclU-_azHNGlxc4p-sAKqt25dkt7AByLn5yp7Ez-7oKyWLJOLQLZg854WQwEHOjmbVrmfQGtBHL8oXYJAgbnjHbebR40eL8yD8tQm8V_GzlkgAL2DWAXHCOM0eDIptpg&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> my friend Goro visited me during
a family gathering at my Uncle’s house. But the year was 1986. Neither he nor I
could talk about what came after 1986.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">July 21</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVLagwX76vKOvg2vM4q22uPScYYaH6OvWokiaeRPBgFsqse5cHCZE_hIg_VdUtSBO1o9NaJG_Pvv1Of5d_FJgFPIisavlGVmPXvx5fywlmdyG-02skikjIF_KQCepWmlfR3plp98LaUGLut85WWZI4l&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> I was a teenager disguised as a
clown retrieving a camera as I attempted to escape from the Fairgrounds.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I watched some movies this week:</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">65. July 14</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Deadly Instincts (1997) Rating: 3</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I thought I was getting “Breeders” from 1987,
not this film, which Netflix’s DVD service has titled “Breeders.” Rubber suit
alien: check. Sexploitation: check. Way too much running around in the basement,
sewers, whatever the hell space they call it: check. I took one point off when
I realized I got the wrong movie. And the last point I took off was when the
much-awaited exposition was carried out in less than thirty seconds.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">66. July 16</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Evil Dead Rise (2023) Rating: 10</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Ramini and Campbell know just what the fans of
the franchise want. And this time, they went into it with all the horror and
little of the humor. The fans wanted a dark seat-squirmer, and they got one.
Homage was paid to the original films in many ways. But all without it being
larkish. I watched this movie on Max.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">67. July 16</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Nimona (2023) Rating: 7</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I read the webcomic a long time ago. I had no
idea a movie option was picked up. The story is a version of the webcomic, so
if you enjoyed the movie, I think you would enjoy seeing the difference and
choice made when they made the adaptation. The message of the film is very
inclusive and more subtle than other animation films featuring inclusion as a
theme. Disney made a mistake in dropping this film, and Netflix did more than a
good deed in picking it up. Lots of fun.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">More next week,</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Mark</span></p>
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{page:Section1;}</style></p>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-85282566357674531482023-07-14T22:28:00.004-07:002023-07-14T22:28:27.923-07:00Weekly Dose of Mark<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Q2vqdwm0sFdNd9zaUaBP6xF89_e5W2N4sFgpmiikXonWoKgv0PBig2OqzXLYmArne38nNdKgh1E0B_KWRFAlnIO1wWGMTJJvV05kjCv0ZUAF8NtI2L_W9BVH0KuXBzp7TrGHfQZyDQYsCqm79f5hcwBmpLwPx5xzwJZeKagUdPoFsas_31vu8dVqSlo/s552/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-14%20at%2010.24.14%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="552" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Q2vqdwm0sFdNd9zaUaBP6xF89_e5W2N4sFgpmiikXonWoKgv0PBig2OqzXLYmArne38nNdKgh1E0B_KWRFAlnIO1wWGMTJJvV05kjCv0ZUAF8NtI2L_W9BVH0KuXBzp7TrGHfQZyDQYsCqm79f5hcwBmpLwPx5xzwJZeKagUdPoFsas_31vu8dVqSlo/w483-h287/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-14%20at%2010.24.14%20PM.png" width="483" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><b><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Friday, July 14, 2023, Tacoma, WA • 07/14/23</span></b><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Joining me at Freelance Fandango this week were Greg Spencer Wolf, Haley Waddington, James Stowe, and Allen Gladfelter. I needed to take notes about our discussions and stories, as my head swelled with them when I got home. And now I can’t remember a single one. I do recall that Allen was coaching Greg on how to improve drawing fingers. Maybe the AI programs can take a few tips. We also discussed submitting to have a table at Arts at the Armory. I will apply only on Sunday as I already have booked for Jet City Comicon on Saturday, and the table agreed that most of my fanbase will be there that day.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Stickermule is doing a special this week where they offer a discount on a different type of sticker each day. This is great because my sticker inventory was getting low. However, I only had one design created for a round die-cut sticker, and I just picked those up a couple of weeks ago. But I knew I had to get started on my next Weird Elephant poster for a film titled “The Wickerman.” I was distracted by a few other tasks and didn’t start the project until the afternoon. But once I started, I worked on it non-stop. Well, I did stop to have dinner. I had a deadline. I needed to stop at 9:30 because that’s when I prep for bed. I pushed myself and finished. I then went online to submit the art only to discover that Stickermule’s deadline had passed. They were only offering their next daily deal, which was holographic stickers. I was bummed! This design wasn’t going to work for a holographic sticker. I was low on a design that I’d used holographic backing before and resubmitted that artwork. Oh well, at least I got a much-needed jump start to my poster design.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">My friend Penny Firehorse has jury duty all this week. I don’t think she was ever called. Which meant she basically sat in a room all week on-call. I got a jury notice last month. I looked at it today to check the website for next week. Whoops! I got the dates confused and was supposed to be serving this week. I sent Penny a message, “Did I miss anything?”</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I was picking up some take-out at Panda Express this week when I saw a small family of four waiting for their order. The husband was playing with their youngest, a boy who I guess was six or seven. He was a small bundle of energy in the dirtiest Crocs I’d ever seen. One fell off his foot as the father slowly strolled after him through the empty tables. In economic movements accomplished only by young fathers, he noted the missing croc and picked up his son just as the kid’s foot touched the floor. He then swung the kid into the errant show. All this went smoothly, even after the father was surprised that his child left a perfect brown footprint on the floor. Baby footprints on birth certificates were not as perfect. The father called his young pre-tween daughter over. She was nothing but long limbs and long hair. Impressed by the footprint, she returned to her mother, who was still seated and waiting for their take-out bags. As the daughter reported on the footprint, the look which crossed her face was not one of amusement. Instead, in was a combination of repelant disgust and mild horror. It wasn’t a fleeting expression. It landed on her face and remained there, much like her child’s footprint on the floor was going to be there until someone scrubbed it away. You could tell that this footprint wasn’t going to disappear with a sweep. Somebody was going to have to get a bucket. In the meantime, it drew attention to itself out of its sheer perfection.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Alley News</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">We have been eating peas with every dinner. Also coming in are cucumbers, which we are dicing up to include in our salads and zucchini. Krista picks it while it is still less than a foot long and very tender. I’ve asked her to repeat a chicken dish she made earlier this week, but this time with mushrooms. I think it will be perfect then. </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Last trimmed blackberry vines outside our front fence. I also removed many that were in the garden in the hedge that boarders our neighbor’s yard and acts as a screen to their chainlink fence. I filled both of our yard waste containers, which got picked up this week.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">For the first time in seven years, the nearby Air Force base will be hosting an air show. One of their attractions is going to be the Thunderbirds. Today they practiced in the sky over our house. While this was noisy at times, it was also very entertaining. Judy Martin came out from under her carport to watch them. Our neighbors Pat and Cathy Smith were also looking up into the sky. They repeated their practice a few hours later when I walked to the Quick-E-Mart a few blocks from here. Krista encouraged me to buy some lottery tickets. Mega Millions is at $560 Million, Powerball is at $875, and the local Lotto is at $4.2 Million. “I want to retire next week,” Krista told me, “so be sure you get the winning numbers.” As I walked home, the four jets flew so low I swore I could read their nametags. SSSSWOOOOOSSSSSHHHHHH!!</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I had some dreams this week:</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 6</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXqh5cr-dzO4tjM7ktqjtJtP5CBgHh0cx4yl2X-l9_jxv-4TYMErNEUnpxvt5w7YL3PZfqvom79UJpmRTPJAEBKSqMv3g4pIPchj9n_zO2wERUQUVbaEmCv0onPRd7Evd4vzF-2kkEu0kXMhcxuauNq&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> in order to take a college course, I had to return to high school for a quarter. I wasn’t making any friends in art class.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 7</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZW6jxbcmVfvM9BnsseGkUhNkMSn3E9opzYLEaCYVJRWaQFAbIIL7ZjmDzqjTAONkEVx-jEEfdTzJPLcNgk8kBZOLXuX20Yd8RinDnyQCLo1oLr2Iy6YGCWJHObJtOtLYh0PTQO0iUmXA68H33XDJAEu&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> my brothers Cliff and Stan were renting a multi-room rent-controlled apartment in NYC with some friends. They invited me to live there too. One of the friends was moving out. We were cleaning garbage out of a shared vehicle.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 8</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWYw1HzAM1DVzzyZaoFvNRjwp9ZNDprOJ_scW5xcOJkZYT9YrlhoTWE-QrIkGyPXczBNk52b-lRXHkfXAGuV9_q_DWNdTCMqZOB6wgO5ZF9haJm1gfHnlR5XWKyi9joNOJjlaW9UQz-g7KcfIJ-pcbj&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> a mother kept wearing Pokémon themed clothing to annoy her daughter long after the daughter lost interest in the game as an act of long-burn revenge.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 9</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXFM2MuKpUYIiuG9XeRKcVg7_sgNhjy_ytCAwSKP0mJgqdCkoTrFSl8ydk--tjXa5U6i7XKNfhg7YaAU81rLwDzuY4OCtpyvQpbWcFKKATxHqmREYXsIE-LQX6qkCuSbyPHjX2FElnoUFGzlrMlCt9k&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> purgatory was a nearly abandoned Mall. Jack Elan saw my confusion and explained, “All these places are connected.” He then showed me around a corner to a bar in Thailand, where we ordered seared sirloin strips.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 10</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUbI-at4coPZSUYh_nngxbO9c3-PNVFcjGfuxcwfj5zugFQchQm82PKx8de3oWfWgwS89O6e0beDlIm6vFmcjiVx15AjAQwPRgTWXey3XgT9oIWzwDFo_V5a8BVAZW6EiYlA026bhx6Qcla2hdPQgjQ&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> my personality split into multiple parts for a group therapy session. One part of me convinced the others that this was unproductive narcissistic feeding bull hockey.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 11</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUwQ2RS3zLigd-RZJxmCEpKVugRxpPHI248hUSF1VHQtCAGsaB4HeKFSgfJ-evrPQvFsZ2AnhvcRubFGGq07ZToVjdtTBDTZzKdAXdK3clONxRsBvVAPbyzUauxI9anT-6WdXbdVLmQoSDwAjho_-EY&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> while waiting for the hotel shuttle, I found several Hawaiian Shirts buried in the sand with a note from a thief, a guest at a hotel stole them from another guest to make a treasure map for their kids.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 13</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXhXqvOtEi7p6PdD0nQ0YJnqHQlp6SslsKnHvupJt1UaZACtCtLxDHYqIA8_XddYcrFsaHoazvTmh1owoPushXQM5NQvgvwMckWIAgeUVrTUzs4O03zN4JQp9PJrxFCxm6ZUHRCtoGXXuVW3h6iFdqo&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I was the first of several people to turn into a 16-foot giant. Large seeds were popping through my skin like acne. Scientists didn’t know what to make of it.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 14</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXUSN_TRZLiYybCw5ECtvzfuwh9kDxa0FyyJpnj5-qNNzW2kb0575TQ1fFpOK-glE0fcFerKBkJQLG3ZieYG40HgsWWI3g4ekAovsKcDzG_Diql_NevcUj2dR7RHJ5QGloawfSuWGGCx7vCEmAWG5uf&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> it was 1934 when an alien and his equivalent to a cow appeared on a secluded farm where a farmer, his wife, son, daughter, and their cow lived. Everything was fine until the farmer had a psychotic break.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I’m in the middle of a couple of movies right now. But here’s one I did finish watching on YouTube.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">64. July 8</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">They Made Me a Fugitive (1947) Rating: 5</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I watched this movie because I was curious about Extraction 2, and I like watching my movies in the sequence they were released. This is a highly challenging kill-count movie. It’s even a difficult explosion-count movie. The action scene goes at a breakneck pace through a warren of alleys, apartments, balconies, and slums. It kept me entertained as Fourth of July fireworks went off through the night and didn’t interfere at all with the view of the film.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">More next week,</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Mark</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-75181402370344486572023-07-08T23:31:00.001-07:002023-07-08T23:31:13.286-07:00Weekly Dose of Mark<div style="text-align: left;"><b><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Saturday, July 8th 2023 • 07/08/23</span></b></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Anique Zimmer was waiting when I showed up at Freelance Fandango on Monday. We were soon joined by Greg, Nori, Stowe, Allen, and Stan. Jennevieve loved the housewarming gift I gave her. Nori was going to get on a plane on July 4th to return home for his father’s memorial service. Nori hasn’t flown for years and didn’t know that you needed to download an app to select a seat. He almost ended up in a middle seat, both going and coming. Anique had to leave at noon, but she was replaced by Corey Macourek, who dropped off the Weird Elephant binder. I bought one of Corey’s “Spirited Away” prints. Allen took the binders as he is the next artist to sell prints at the Grand Cinema this weekend. His poster is “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Last week my friend John spent a great deal of his time in Seattle tending to his mother. Her state of health fluctuated enough that the care center she lives in moved her from her apartment to another more intense care area of the facility. When John told me Monday afternoon that she died, the news was not completely unexpected. But I thought she’d stabilized after a rough week and was going to recover. John told me the heartwarming story of she spent her last day. Apparently, she was in good enough spirits that she and her boyfriend went on an outing. They paid their respects at her mother’s gravesite. The weather was fine and clear; it was a bright, warm day. As older people often do, she nodded off on the drive back. At least, that is what the boyfriend thought until they arrived back at the facility and he discovered she’d died. As far as a last day goes, that’s a pretty good one. I want to be of help to John. This next week is going to be busy for him and his family as they make arrangements.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Krista and I made three purchases at Costco this week that were not food. The first was a twin mattress. We have a spare bed in a small room we call the sewing room. We have an old twin bed I used to sleep in as a kid, which I took to college. I bought a new mattress for it back in the ’90s. Even seldom-used mattresses get threadbare. Krista and I have been meaning to replace it for a while now. And by a while, I might mean the last decade. The only problem was buying one while it was on sale, and a friend with a truck was available. The Knights of Pythias has a group chat, and I put a query out asking for an assist. Dale Chestnut, who I haven’t seen since before the pandemic, sent me his number. He and his wife were kind enough to help us out. While the three of us were at Costco, they picked up a cooked chicken and a bottle of olive oil. They turned down all of my efforts to reimburse them for their time or gas. They invited me out to their place to visit. I will have to take them up on that.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I’ve been using an oscillating fan set on a stool in the master bedroom. Krista would like to use that fan downstairs to keep her desk cool during the upcoming heat wave. The second purchase we made was a tall upright fan for the master bedroom. I had it assembled in less than five minutes. It has a temperature setting on it so that it will automatically turn on and off at a certain temperature.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The third purchase was a stand-up lamp. When we first moved it, we bought a small upright lamp barely over four feet. Its single bulb has dimly lit what we call the library for the last thirty years. We’ve been meaning to replace it with something taller that could provide more light. Krista thought the design of the new lamp would fit the room perfectly. The assembly was challenging as the designer provided micro screws as small as a black ant’s butt to hold everything together. I love how much light it brings into the room. Krista loves the way it looks.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The lamp was a spontaneous purchase. The mattress and fan were planned. We knew these items appeared seasonally at Costco and learned from previous years that unless you purchased them quickly, they would disappear until next year. We meant to buy the fan last year and missed out. We have been after the mattress for years. The lamp just happened to be in the right place at the right time.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Uncle Bill and Dad are back from their fishing trip with Cousin Vic. They had a good time. I know they caught a lot of fish, some of which they tossed back and some which they brought home. They were fishing for trout in a lake. I tried to find out how much they caught, but the phone call went sideways. Apparently, Uncle Bill was expecting his new hearing aids to arrive at the house while they were away. The hearing aids were late arriving, so Uncle Bill decided to stay until they showed up. Then they asked me about getting some art framed. I need to call them back and let them know that all the Framers I knew have retired. I hope to hear about their fishing trip soon.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Friday night Allen Gladfelter picked me up, and I kept him company as he sold “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” posters at the Grand Cinema. I enjoy Allen’s company. He’s been working on a graphic novel for a few years now. He decided to rewrite some of the pages. Thankfully, he’d planned his panels so that they could be shifted around. He did a little of that and only had to alter one or two spoken balloons. I’ll be keeping him company again tonight.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Alley News</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Krista saw a couple down the alley working on a red sedan. She assumed that it was being stripped. I knew she didn’t want me to investigate or to get Don to investigate. She worried that it might turn nasty. Don did go and explore. He learned that our neighbor Dan gave the couple in the red car an old van. The old van was parked at the far end of the alley to block an unused driveway. It was to discourage the homeless from setting up came there. A large branch fell two winters ago and broke the back window. The van has sat there since before the pandemic. Don had the couple drive it up to his place, where they could work on it faster. He wanted them gone before dusk. They were successful in getting it running. Now the stray cats and raccoons will have to find somewhere else to nest.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">We had to close all the windows once it got dark on the Fourth of July. There were so many fireworks and so little wind that a fog of sulfur-smelling fog settled in the city. It was pretty bad. We marveled at how our poorest neighbors were always the ones who bought the most expensive fireworks. “Will they will have enough money for rent next month?” Krista wondered. “Poor little Sally isn’t going to get her braces this year.”</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I was craving ribs. The only store that had them at a decent price was Costco. So when we were there buying the lamp, we also purchased a package of ribs made of three racks. Krista cooked two of them, and we froze the third. We’ll be eating ribs for a few days. Krista also made some potato salad and did a quick steam on the snap peas from the garden. We’ve been eating peas with every meal. The cucumbers are coming in as well. On Wednesday, we took a break from the ribs and ate sweet chili braised salmon with a tangy cucumber salad. We also finished off the cake I bought to celebrate our 36th anniversary. I suggested to Krista that maybe we should go up to Canada next year for our anniversary.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Wells family was over at Judy Martin’s house every day during the Fourth of July weekend. They’ve been enjoying the warm weather visiting under the carport with “Granny” and Pat and Cathy Smith. Cathy is a frequent visitor to Judy’s, at least once or twice a day, if not more, to check on her and help out. Pat has been mowing and watering her plants for years now. Even though Judy says, she doesn’t want any plants because she doesn’t have the strength to water them. The Smiths got around this argument by saying they needed a place to grow more vegetables and they’d take care of everything. Thus, Judy gets to enjoy looking at plants in the summer. I’ve not kept track of the vegetables they are growing.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Some of my dreams:</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 1</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUeeszh-negY7mdPQnHendjIGVDtqfSHR20lVTL7cMYXuAdVWR9SU0oraIq9uU8uYXNbFJjJ5SnmUkuyzyd5WNqiZu6P7iEptq3WA8RKpmoKqTmooNkPxNFOlOErTXhoNLdV5Ve_DtuvOToZgbHN0ZT&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I was on a ski trip with my brothers when I got separated and then trapped within a zoo where all the animals had been released and were running amok. I couldn’t tell if the lion was affectionate or playing with me like a mouse.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 2</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUTZ4ccck251q6C3J929HuqEPV4g6F_ZGd8xk2oLoqfOTmO9TEu8LBkEt6IX-WcMbR0Je5167wCMifZiVZCZC_tadfpSD8c5HsREv3b3ocPldEH9Ui1Et8Zpb5UYNtzgaMkGFCP_1udaS3LGfxDZQb5&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> we moved to a different house where the dishwasher was in the mud room. It would leak unless you closed the door tightly. I was sorting a bag of trash left behind. I could tell if it was wine or meth-making equipment.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 3</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVU-dAd1jGq5I5nZxVYKUIYygmy4i5nEo__yDQXRvlPb9wnvq2GOmG-PDMQ8FhO0RZ8qWsyVWV-niuxYiBpFw5g9c_WwkYgT1cBBp7y4Vy4WYrY_gJ67PATXRdhZoidX-bcwNv3D7eAslABGEQ3am8r&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> the motel I was at had a gas station mini-mart as a lobby. I bought a sandwich, and the clerk gave me a penny. The man behind me held out his hand as a joke. I gave him the penny. “For luck,” I said.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 4</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVTeSB6e1QI6QgOQTz77MCKSGFOBLkbFP56UPL3yPDrkVMfRYgGVBAJZYLU5zRF2hKF5Ymi5JzNsNgNep-Nep6amxsgQWo_LhgkrEHdQyhcokjbnSsWtzsr7SDhoMvqnwcj2N55kgrHCcWNU0uRHHXj&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> we stayed at an AirB&B and woke to find a long-haired cat on me. As we left, I mentioned to the owner their cat had snuck in and slept on the bed. “We don’t have a cat.” They said.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Movies I watched this last week:</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">62. July 3</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009) Rating: 5</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">This is a fish-out-of-water Rom-Com. One of the many Hugh Grant romance comedies where he’s partnered with a new leading lady to see if chemistry happens. I think all involved elevated the script. While the horses had names, there were no dogs with names in the movie. But that’s understandable, with Bart the Second being part of the cast.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">63. July 4</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Extraction (2020) Rating: 5</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I watched this movie because I was curious about Extraction 2, and I like watching my movies in the sequence they were released. This is a highly challenging kill-count movie. It’s even a difficult explosion-count movie. The action scene goes at a breakneck pace through a warren of alleys, apartments, balconies, and slums. It kept me entertained as Fourth of July fireworks went off through the night and didn’t interfere at all with the view of the film.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">64. July 8</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">They Made Me a Fugitive (2020) Rating: 5</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Not to be confused with “They Made Me A Criminal.” What this movie could have used is a dog or at least a bird in a cage. Instead, we have a man held behind chicken wire. Most of the characters lacked dimension. The dialog must have been witty and snarky at the time because this film did okay at the time. My favorite part remains the wife asking for a favor in return for food and clothes.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">More next week,</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Mark</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEtomHuSplYMiUmTzETZjUJRXxrVplGWpufTyMIey87TkrddrGJBv__pd21Gry1UCDCOFvZcajtPa3z9ljyuSo-kPWQ4meahxEx-eDjs6PYLV3bFeshcoV54hnz7t9HegV2zmdmVVLvRuqyGbuXPGnP7M2Z3xBqSjvcmait7tyirRqt3gZkj0_aslPH0/s1100/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-08%20at%2011.23.05%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="1100" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEtomHuSplYMiUmTzETZjUJRXxrVplGWpufTyMIey87TkrddrGJBv__pd21Gry1UCDCOFvZcajtPa3z9ljyuSo-kPWQ4meahxEx-eDjs6PYLV3bFeshcoV54hnz7t9HegV2zmdmVVLvRuqyGbuXPGnP7M2Z3xBqSjvcmait7tyirRqt3gZkj0_aslPH0/w492-h366/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-08%20at%2011.23.05%20PM.png" width="492" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-56076552194280799012023-06-30T21:50:00.001-07:002023-06-30T21:50:25.706-07:00Weekly Dose of Mark<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvotzwjnmN2i1fh0HpgJGwDWKH6yHbvGVhCmVZ7j7bE-LOYcNr_i5DXu0ywSzzzQ8M7W_ic5fBTW_OEdNVcMbpd9LJG3y4uWHueVsNsu4ueROrzOZAyah5D-UHAwUa1KZOHSSUVRr--S3rpZ0MGroMRXY4TrdE0ij6oZLWkWl_rLMLpvJbSfmigHKmFA/s1081/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-30%20at%209.44.13%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1081" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvotzwjnmN2i1fh0HpgJGwDWKH6yHbvGVhCmVZ7j7bE-LOYcNr_i5DXu0ywSzzzQ8M7W_ic5fBTW_OEdNVcMbpd9LJG3y4uWHueVsNsu4ueROrzOZAyah5D-UHAwUa1KZOHSSUVRr--S3rpZ0MGroMRXY4TrdE0ij6oZLWkWl_rLMLpvJbSfmigHKmFA/w564-h356/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-30%20at%209.44.13%20PM.png" width="564" /></a></div><br /><b>
</b><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #0e101a;">Friday, June 30th 2023</span></b>
</p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">It has been a crazy week. On Thursday, I was
prepping my bins for Washington State Summer Con, which most of my friends just
call Summercon. I went online to see where my table assignment was located. I
was contemplating setting up that evening. But I couldn’t find myself listed on
the website. I thought that was odd and looked for my application and receipt.
I couldn’t find any. I was kicking myself because this is one of my most
lucrative shows. I sent Steve, the organizer, a message. Hopefully, he’d find
it in the dozens of others he was probably getting already on the first setup
day. I then moaned to a few of my friends. Oddly enough, Travis Bundy was in
the same boat. Thankfully, Steve found a space for both of us. We just wouldn’t
be on the directories, which were already put to bed. I was relieved just to
get in, and I wasn’t worried about where he’d put me. I always do good at this
show. The show is large, taking up two buildings, a large one and a smaller one
with two floors. Still, It wasn’t until late in the day on Thursday that Steve
got back to me, so I was going to set up on Friday.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I got there with plenty of time to set up. I was
able to drive my car onto the fairgrounds and unload at the door. I then drove
my car to the Vendor’s parking lot. As it was still early enough, I got a spot
closer to the gate than farther away. Unlike Lilac City Comicon a couple of
weeks ago, the footprint and tables were big, with eight-foot square space and long
tables. I was able to spread out my display. I also had time to roam through
the exhibits with Matt Youngmark. Matt and I have traveled and tabled together
at so many shows we’ve lost count. Also at the convention was Jay and Karen
Palmer, Eli Wolfe, Chad Scheres, Katie Crown, Timothy W. Long, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.guizzetti?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZX9I_WVw_trXR3mnF7XFeNR9vI7HYJ5qs0ev92s3mrQm-Hvwn9mm05xeXTx2Oj17y-bP360fzAsdrK4KXOTNMIrij4Tf4Up20gCwEWjXDnITmm4GI2EZsR8V0EbWG9maakF7fVEPP0LIsUGmiqWFMylGO2Ru4q3-3ACbvcccffD4-yUVewSVfM7KKB6sXDBxN8&__tn__=-%5DC%2CP-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">Elizabeth Guizzetti</span></a>, and, of course, Travis
Bundy. Several of my other friends were there as well, tabling, volunteering
for organizations, and working as staff. This was one of the few times that I
was actually able to at least look at all the tables and booths before the
event started. And for me, it started with a bang. During the first how two
guys came to my table, and between the two of them dropped $100. It was a good
way to start the show. The one person who didn’t make the show was Mark Brill.
He caught Covid on Monday and didn’t sound that good when I talked to him on
Thursday.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">A funny thing happened to me on Friday. The
fellow tabling across from me had the name Warren Montgomery. While setting up
his table, another person approached and said that was their spot. Warren said
something like, “No, as you can clearly read, the sign says Warren Montgomery.”
The man said, “Yes, it does say that, and my name is Warren Montgomery.” What
are the odds that there would be two Warren Montgomerys tabling at the same
comic convention? A check with the staff cleared up their locations. That’s an
honest mistake to make. The only thing now is I can’t remember which Warren was
set up in the correct spot at the start of this story. Either I didn’t learn
that detail, or I forgot it. I have a wonderful photo of the two Warrens
pointing at each other that is identical to the famous meme posting of the
three Spidermen pointing at each other. If you aren’t into comics, you probably
won’t get the reference. But, for a nerd like me, it’s hilarious.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Allen Gladfelter picked me up Saturday morning.
He agreed to help me man my table on what was going to be the busiest day of
the event. Allen has helped me several times before and is very good at running
the orders and doing the Spcheal if I have my hands full. He also has a good
stock of posters, books, and a sticker. We sell them on the table along with my
stuff. We ate that morning at Little Jerry’s, where Allen introduced me to his
friend Rick. Rick is a little bit of a Luddite in that he doesn’t have a social
media account. He only reads books in their paper form. And books are his
favorite subject. Thankfully he and I have similar tastes in science fiction,
which I think is his favorite genre. I was able to give him some fantasy
recommendations of books that have come out in recent years. Allen was at first
worried about how long we were taking, but I told him that I wanted to enjoy a
good long slow breakfast with his and Rick. After saying goodbye to Rick, we
quickly arrived at the fairgrounds. And Allen had about an hour to enjoy
looking around before the show kicked into full speed at ten. I could handle
the early bird at 9:30. I was very thankful Allen was there with me. We made a
lot of transactions. I ran out of some prints and shirt sizes. Thankfully I had
more prints at home to restock. That evening Allen and I ate at a new
restaurant he wanted to try, The Flying Tomato. It was an Italian-ish
restaurant. Allen and I agreed to split our meals and the check. We ate a Cajon
Fettachine and Lasagna. Both were delicious, and we both decided that the
Fettacine was the winner. We were stuffed; one meal would have fed the both of
us. Now we are interested in trying some of their pizza. This restaurant was in
the location of a restaurant my neighbor Ralph and I would occasionally visit
when we didn’t go to, The Peanut Sauce. It was an American dinner then, and
made excellent breakfasts. I don’t know if Covid closed it down or not. Allen
reported that renovations were underway since he moved into the area at the
start of the school year. The Flying Tomato has only been open for three weeks.
It has a booming business.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Both my neighbor Pat Smith and my friend John
Draper turned me down when I asked them to assist on Sunday. However, Corey
Macourek said, “Yes.” He was even kind enough to come to my house on Saturday
night to pick up the Vendor’s pass so I wouldn’t have to leave my table and meet
him at the gate while the event was underway. Corey showed up earlier than I
expected, and he, too, had several prints to sell. He didn’t do quite as well
as Allen on his sales, but it was Sunday, and he also logged fewer hours. I was
grateful for his help and now owe him a favor. Corey left before the event was
over. He still had a movie poster to work on.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I genuinely need to be better about writing down
all the funny things that happen at these conventions. I do take photos, but
even then, I don’t get pictures of everyone. Travis Bundy closed down his booth
on Saturday. Travis didn’t get any sleep the night before and looked a little
rough around the edges. I’m glad he made the decision to of health over profit.
A quick tally after the event indicated that this was my best Summercon and
also my most profitable show this year. That’s going to be hard to beat as all
the remaining shows are only two or one-day shows.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Genevieve Schlemmer, who moved to Brooklyn three
years ago, has moved back to this state and is living just down the interstate
in Olympia. Her husband Trevor cashed in on his old job, and they decided there
were lots of reasons for them to move back to Washington. They want to build
their own computer games together. Genevieve has been working on a game that is
rather meditative; it’s based on tending houseplants. Everyone was happy to see
her walk in at Freelance Fandango. I showed her a ProCreate feature that she
loved. I’m looking forward to her giving me a tutorial on making patterns next
week. Also in attendance were Richard, Allen, Stan, and Nori. The Kit Kat
flavor this week was Wasabi. Genevieve says it’s her favorite flavor so far.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">But my Monday didn’t end there. The Asian
Pacific Cultural Center relocated to a new location. Their old building is
being torn down to build a permanent place for them. They are hoping it will be
done in one or two years. Their first art show at the temporary location
features three artists, one of which is Yichao Zhang. I met Yichao when she
first immigrated to the united states. A mutual friend brought her to Freelance
Fandango. Her last show at the center featured illustration; this show features
her painting. She’s so talented. The other artists are Marialina Wallace and
her tattoo artist Kamu of Kardey’s Polynesian Tattoo. Yichao was happy to see
me. Also, there were some of my friends June Sekiguchi, the mutual friend who
introduced me to Yichao. Patsy Surh O’Connell stopped to give me some words of
encouragement with all the events I organize for artists. She is a powerhouse
in the Tacoma Art scene and served as the backbone of the Asian Pacific
Cultural Center until she stepped down from her role, which was only recently.
I was extremely flattered by her words and had to confess to feeling a little pride.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Speaking of hosting events, this Wednesday was
the monthly live drawing session, The Grand Drawing Room, at the Grand Cinema.
Our model this month was Devin Blair, who was dressed as the character Jynx in
a scene in the television show Arcane. The character initially originated from
the League of Legends video game. The turnout has grown each month. This time
there were fifteen artists drawing the model. What made a real difference was
the platform they brought to her to stand and sit on. The elevation really
helped.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I drove downtown today to drop off the Weird
Cabal binders at Corey’s apartment. His print for the Silver Screen showing of
“Spirited Away” will be ready. The movie is showing on Saturday and Sunday, and
I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it. I’ll be buying a print from him on
Monday when he comes to the next Freelance Fandango.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">What the “Parental Unit” is up to.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">For a couple of years now, my father has been
wanting to go on a fishing trip to a resort in Canada. And by a couple of
years, I mean several decades. He and my Uncle George headed that way back half
a century ago but got sidetracked to another resort. I remember spending a
summer when the whole family went there and rented a cabin. I caught a trout
that broke the lake record for that summer. It hangs on a wall in my living
room. Anyway, Dad was bound and determined to go on a trip there while he still
could. He convinces my Cousin Vic to go with him. Dad often goes fishing with
Cousin Vic. At least, I think it’s my cousin Vic. I’m not kidding when I say I
have a lot of cousins. If you count wives, there were over fifty of them at one
time. That’s first cousins, mind you. Anyway, back to the topic of the fishing
trip. Uncle Bill, my father’s twin, recently moved back to the Northwest after
living in Taos, New Mexico, for several years. Dad asked Uncle Bill to go with
them. My sibling owes cousin Vic big time as he’s taking care of two
92-year-old men on an excursion up into Canada to catch fish. My brother Stan
made sure that they had travel insurance, just in case. I hope the three of
them are having a good time.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Aunt Audra, my Mom’s sister, decided she would
take the opportunity to visit Mom. Audra lives in Oregon and drove up. The trip
took her 11 hours. And what does she get as a reward? A black eye. She
described it as a collaboration between a bed leg, her luggage, a chair, new
wooden floors, and gravity. We’re glad you made it home in one piece, Aunt
Audra. I hope the swelling goes down soon.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I called this Mom this evening. There was quite
a loud gathering going on, as it sounded like Kat, Nick, Andrew, Jasmine,
Randy, and Evi were all over for dinner. They were chanting, “Mark! Mark! Mark!
Mark!” as I tried to say goodbye. So with a chuckle, I hung up. A minute later,
I got a call from Mom. When I pick up the phone, wondering what it could be, I
hear, “Mark! Mark! Mark! Mark!” and before I can respond, they hang up. I look
over at my loving wife, who just cackles. My family is a bunch of loving kooks.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Here are some of last week’s dreams:</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">June 22</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWDJqAwuJsY30B_sQkzU83UQzVBQkkXCUsINx2cYrY2N2IKLroJ0uOA6H0waPAqlb47i-tY1tGm39osdNSaae7g-ONT8OIByC67sS5YrZFGRrghF-6triwflwvGbei8VPps-iF67w8oDkpnIVJZLbhK&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> four high school students found
an abandoned station wagon on the beach. It could fly, but only two feet above
the water, and only if one of them was in love.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">June 23</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUZi-Big-obkMyc_G7gCHOii_9u8ThHPbvIlM1hNI3mWNr7-MNK6L-tkQQX-NeXMT1bJAtZjqixUefIWPjpWiDYinADLDJDmyxxLmiMivng3IF6RqLTyVtj5l_HEx6Z0Vqj-VcsGC5VWvs4LdaLlDmq&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> Due to roads closing, I had to
stay overnight at a friend’s house after a party. I’m not sure that they meant
to invite me in the first place. Then they forgot I was still there.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">June 24</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWdSwVoWH0mVFDuC8rpzFkAyHFZE36LGREICfDm5hTZ3sTY0UXmZZ71N8JF2-pTGk7wstTfAsn3_rHpikE0vnawX3XN0FgBT7coh_KJrgrSYMTnnf2qZokVptSM8WbyfI7io3_4vjj-THhGYP1Ssnxk&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> I was a financial advisor in a
first-time meeting with a teenager who had just inherited an estate worth
millions. His reaction to my first suggestion for philanthropy was a dismissive
“No way!”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">June 26</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWJxZf3rgNBLrBvtfbzMy5loVBOKzwxqvAZe5e9MYJ-PQHBLQY9XqxQOa8JUoZ3SjiJlL4igyBPwoibeG7taowiaFjW1_qQuI2LEX4pnhzf3AHeqEP6zWgQ8-SBnSxjB3TiladO7j2veGhDbGtkZQaW&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a>, my parent’s HOA president, was
asking for donations, so my father was going to pledge money he didn’t have. I
suggested that a crowdsourcing fundraiser be done first. The homeowners could
then contribute after.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">June 27</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUU3n2VkHGBnjL3FkXA5pnVM1uw5yyqTT7ceSLvNgJKDLhA10bWUomEF_JCnwesF10PPhv9TquWA4Pn59d1KSYlzK-aVEvcJZASxmR3rplnIVfeJTywc7xeuvW92l8zzQLU1THE75XL0wJDPqzlB9Nl&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> the wife sent me out for eggs,
and I picked up a dozen in a carton. “These are deep-fried!” She cried out with
frustration. I was incredulous, but sure enough, in the shell deep fried.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">June 28</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWQA0xuf0rK2UdT6291XU3FtRxeSA5giuMwt8zN-U7wpwFFRv1fdNlINpL4rwim-vG2v4MF_NI97p9tOElRT1YMDQL-bMUP1RrlZUka3ZBWIXZMkV-C5Z0r4yVKmZ8Q0H2y57jjiVUnu4urEiEnRARz&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> I met a shiny android at the
library. They owned a BBQ restaurant but had initially been programmed as a
“therapist.” They said the career shift wasn’t that big.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">June 29</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUzhNsVzy1kxpZF4Nf40r2hoF6A2c8WPvcYj67z8Mo7s3wtEIOpIr43OjejKbNHC5fDPO9aLBqXf7oc-OWtzE90Nof_AXFa7ZY-wcS-vJbXIAa1v3uCpCtKWlXr4EBf7xcjlAFQAjqn3J8rhXo2Jaaa&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> I was using ProCreate and iMovie
to make a video to show some creative uses of whiteout. I did this while living
with a South American tribe that worshipped and lived with giant bats.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">June 30</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVBVZKe0WL6C4wHgvhEvnfUB26CX_q7FXYPvLg7DrsvhUM2WumSgTD55T4tL9mKR2UPR9Y57i1qhvZQBqoliajZZX_YJM_dtiv0DcOSb6eYbU_n30TY4QOk0E5f-ScIqyV-VwU_2iymL674dmO1mz-e&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> I was on a ski trip with my
brothers when I got separated and then trapped within a zoo where all the
animals had been released and were running amok. I couldn’t tell if a lion was
affectionate or playing with me like a mouse.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I watched a movie this week:</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">61. June 27</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">The Last Stand (2013) Rating: 6</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">This action movie has Arnold Schwarzenegger
acting as the weathered-old cop on the nose. Everyone is trying to bring the
movie up with the script they were given. They didn’t capture lightning in a
bottle this time, but they did try. It’s a fun movie that I watched on Netflix.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">More next week,</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Mark</span></p>
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{margin-bottom:0in;}</style></p>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-38495621200801096182023-06-21T21:39:00.006-07:002023-06-21T21:39:52.770-07:00Weekly Dose of Mark<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlWSpcV0t5TuG9IetkHg5y9nWv-EDI3aXbIQ6_iqfboCkaNCm3U0DR7jzivOfZvnlh-uUGLJeOoDI3cWVBU1d5LcWEdcrhxy30x0NICMlMBrqRhvinN7HSlsN4kbJIDaY8APLeOiMjcaTjl5ZfMXnT9-NDmOLm2zo1preqcpW64A4Rc62hMlDijcQN94/s460/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-21%20at%209.37.11%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="460" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlWSpcV0t5TuG9IetkHg5y9nWv-EDI3aXbIQ6_iqfboCkaNCm3U0DR7jzivOfZvnlh-uUGLJeOoDI3cWVBU1d5LcWEdcrhxy30x0NICMlMBrqRhvinN7HSlsN4kbJIDaY8APLeOiMjcaTjl5ZfMXnT9-NDmOLm2zo1preqcpW64A4Rc62hMlDijcQN94/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-21%20at%209.37.11%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Wednesday, June 21st, 2023</span></b></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Last Thursday, I gave an online presentation on the basics of contracts, invoices, and saving money for taxes. The last one is so simple most people don’t give it any credit. But it has proven itself a winner for me. I save 25¢ of every dollar I own. I then either pay taxes, or buy deductible business equipment, or put it in my retirement account. This and other pearls of wisdom fell from my lips into the ears of students and Shoreline Community College. I hope they enjoyed the presentation; I already deposited the check. How did I already deposit the check when I just did the presentation? Because they suggested I invoice them early, which I did.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Krista and I left for Alturas, California, right afterward. This was a very late start for us. Why Alturas? Because that is where Aunt Christine lives, and a visit was long overdue. It’s a long drive, 8-10 hours, depending on breaks, meals, and traffic. We had bad traffic all the way through Olympia, and then as we approached Oregon. It was slow going, and we didn’t arrive in Alturas until 2am on Friday.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">We didn’t do much on Friday. We mainly sat on the couch and caught up with Christine. We also went out to dinner at a new-to-us Thai/Japanese place. We really liked the Pad Prik King with Chicken and the Pad Thai with Shrimp. Christine stayed home because she didn’t have much of an appetite. We took her some leftovers.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I can’t remember if it was Friday or Saturday. We had fun gathering up leaves in the back yard. This last winter had been very windy, and a lot of leaves and branches got caught up in the outdoor furniture, pots, and decorations. Between the three of us, it didn’t take long to bag it up.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Krista brought gnocchi and squash sauce. Since Krista normally cooks chicken breast to go with the squash sauce, I was surprised when she brought home hamburger instead. On Saturday, she made a new dish I’d never tried before. Even though it was squash sauce, the richness of the hamburger gave it an Italian flavor that reminded me more of tomato sauce. I had to resist from overindulging.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Aunt Christine has a small black dog named Tucker. He’s half pug and half chiwhawa. His body is very pug-like, as are his ears. The rest of him is a fun mix of both. His underbite has his lower teeth poking out like a bulldog. I think Christine was surprised to see how quickly Tucker took to Krista and me. He spent most of our visit on one of our laps. And he loves playing tug.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Alturas is a small town with only one red blinking traffic light. It has a wildlife refuge. We beat ourselves up for forgetting to bring our binoculars. Thankfully Christine had her handy. Deer in the street and yard is a daily occurrence. There are a lot of birds as well. I added sand cranes and cinnamon teal ducks, and ringneck ducks to my life watch list. There were lots of other ducks and birds, but they were already on my list. The wildlife refuge has had several improvements made to it since our last visit. I’m a little ashamed to think that it might be over ten years since our last visit. It’s a nice town.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Sunday, Krista cooked some salmon. There were snowpeas and pilaf on hand at the house. I loved it as it was just how I liked it. Krista says it was easy to prepare because it was so thick, and she didn’t have to worry about it drying out. It was moist and delicious.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">All fun vacations end. Krista and I hugged Christine goodbye Monday morning. We had breakfast at the Black Bear Restaurant in Klamath Falls. Eggs, sausage links, hashbrowns, and biscuit. We timed our arrival perfectly as a table opened up. There was a line forming after us that was just as long when we left. This time we go home at a reasonable time. It wasn’t even dark yet. We grabbed a couple of Shrimp Geisha Bowls at Zen Ramen Sushi Burrito for dinner before we unpacked the car. And boy, did we have a lot to unpack. Christine was very generous with her gifts. A full-size realistic statue of a bulldog now keeps our fake Doberman “Fluffy” company in the living room. Both looking at the front door to startle the Bejezus out of the delivery people. We are still trying to find the right place to put the giant glass pig with a cork nose. The obsidian rocks are hanging out next to the Azalia in the backyard until my friend makes good on his promise to teach me how you flint knap. The bales of hay will come in handy in the backyard. We’re going to be giving Christine reports on what we do with all the other stuff.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Tuesday, I ended up canceling Epic Sketch Time. Bill and I were the only ones in the room for the first twenty minutes, and we set the rule that we wouldn’t record or stay open if it was just the Mark and Bill Show. I then got an email after we closed the room that someone who arrived 25 minutes late was waiting to get in. I sent them an email that we closed due to lack of participants. I think this was the same person who tried to get in last week when I had to cancel due to technical difficulties. Things like this happen. But the event is free, and in its seven-year history, there has only been a handful of cancellations.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">There were a lot of birthdays this week. And while I did call him up to wish him a Happy Birthday, I forgot to mention my oldest brother Randy’s birthday last week. Happy Birthday, Randy. There was also Olga’s birthday. And, Jeeze, my niece Melina’s birthday was last week too. I really need to get better at reporting the calendar. Happy Birthday, Everybody!</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Alley News</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Don was lying on a car repair cart under the back of his car. He didn’t get up when he called me over. I went to the front of the car and picked up an electrical diagram off the hood of the car, and took it over to him. Don’s weak point on cars has always been the electrical. He was cursing the car manufacturer. Apparently, most brands of cars follow the same color guide system for their cars. White for this, red for that, green for this, black for that. But this brand of car uses brown wires with different type of thin little white lines on it. You know, the hardest thing for an elderly man with failing eyes, laying on his back, with poor lighting under the back end of a car, to see. Don is trying to get the wires working that will operate the signal and brake lights of his trailer. The right light works fine, but the left light is not operating properly. It certainly gives him a reason to curse.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The replacement for the lawnmower battery I ordered and then returned finally arrived. The battery was giving me mixed signals. At first, there was no light, then I finally got a light. Then it said it was failing to charge. I put the battery into the charger for a third time before going on vacation. When we got home, I saw a solid green light. A flashing green light would have been bad. The button on the front of the battery then lit up all the lights that indicate the amount of charge. I guess it’s good to put in the mower and see if I can finally get that puppy started up.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I listened to some books:</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“Paladin’s Grace” by T. Kingfisher, Rating: 7</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">A quirky fantasy in which humor and attraction can have the reader rolling their eyes as hard as the hero and heroine's friends. Wonderful fluff that is meant to be enjoyed for its simple escapism.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good” by Helene Tursten, Rating: 7</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">This series of stories is about an elderly lady who brooks no fools messing with her life. She puts on the facade of being feeble and a bit senile, but her mind is sharp, her body healthy, and she's actually quite formidable– deadly even. My wife and I listened to these stories during a several hours-long drive at night, and we were kept awake and very alert as we followed Maude's interesting life.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I had some dreams:</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 14</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZW2tOggE3ZqiqwWm9n6NfFHlT2vkgrg5BTkR6vfrepOPzt1VVttKe6RzIiKXwYI2HgzBgq7HzaPs2kOT3nP9coCkuTeF0H_hvr_945WknulqWhIqK-k_zUIxWHHEEeIbBar5UUdseOJ40inSxWzOnss&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> Hugh Laurie and I were in a department store. He commented that hide-a-beds were designed to tell your guests to leave after a few days. And if you really didn’t want guests, you should invest in a futon.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 17</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUUC1ODxZtxzFuRtgatKrTqw4nF9ofoygNFCcC2lEe5oit4k4e5YIhzbJOxS25l2WHuROkW95v8yCkOXwORo0FmkOGDw8gQMk3chhtlFW0pZsT4ee3pV-rxhLmwMKb9nPdsNjxJD3CIN47b-st1sM_t&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I was one of five people hired to dismantle an office trailer on an oilfield in China that was closing down. Then one of the rigs struck oil, and we were fired.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 20</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXKTdoCr-oWWd7a2LdzclZdzxk9inNAkx3H8gbqsA3QAlO63EBLof4Dxj6iMFgpROBW0fXByBDrwMR4Xjvz7lRFP4pT9-pEkD-mtMNtOr0aJuEPjrYMUP7d5HwsUeeSUfbnjGBwsAZ5A636-ZgyjtSD&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I took my luggage to a parking lot photo shoot. But it was filled with </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.pond.96?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXKTdoCr-oWWd7a2LdzclZdzxk9inNAkx3H8gbqsA3QAlO63EBLof4Dxj6iMFgpROBW0fXByBDrwMR4Xjvz7lRFP4pT9-pEkD-mtMNtOr0aJuEPjrYMUP7d5HwsUeeSUfbnjGBwsAZ5A636-ZgyjtSD&__tn__=-%5DK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Chris Pond</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">’s clothes. </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/james.stowe.58?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXKTdoCr-oWWd7a2LdzclZdzxk9inNAkx3H8gbqsA3QAlO63EBLof4Dxj6iMFgpROBW0fXByBDrwMR4Xjvz7lRFP4pT9-pEkD-mtMNtOr0aJuEPjrYMUP7d5HwsUeeSUfbnjGBwsAZ5A636-ZgyjtSD&__tn__=-%5DK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">James Stowe</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> thought it would be hilarious if I wore them for a photo. </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/walkamileintheirshoes?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXKTdoCr-oWWd7a2LdzclZdzxk9inNAkx3H8gbqsA3QAlO63EBLof4Dxj6iMFgpROBW0fXByBDrwMR4Xjvz7lRFP4pT9-pEkD-mtMNtOr0aJuEPjrYMUP7d5HwsUeeSUfbnjGBwsAZ5A636-ZgyjtSD&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#walkamileintheirshoes</span></a></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 21</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUIIK1uiAKExzXT9-I4siVqFEFAsF9j8aMIYzebElauRTSrsm1MePh7Ft4fpFURVcY5dPdoMniFvIzanz34kqXYzdGwVJ4GF-I0szI_E6et1g7KwuUESC72fVmTd-e7M7LR5hXULIF4XRzbsC2HSJAS&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I was doing time at a working ranch. There was a plot to release the prisoners early before anyone could figure out the owner was missing. The prisoners were torn between early freedom and the possibility of bearing testimony. </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/vampires?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUIIK1uiAKExzXT9-I4siVqFEFAsF9j8aMIYzebElauRTSrsm1MePh7Ft4fpFURVcY5dPdoMniFvIzanz34kqXYzdGwVJ4GF-I0szI_E6et1g7KwuUESC72fVmTd-e7M7LR5hXULIF4XRzbsC2HSJAS&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#vampires</span></a></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I watched a movie this week:</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Feast (2005) Rating: 6</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I love a fun creature feature. This is just what I was hoping for, with over-the-top splatter, and comedy was a perk. So I gave it to points for that. But I'm taking away one point for all of the scenes in the dark. Still, there was a fun creature reveal after putting it mainly off shot. I had fun watching the CD extras with the edited and deleted scenes. I watched this film on a Netflix DVD.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">More next week,</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Mark</span></p>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-44356233039556997742023-06-14T22:03:00.002-07:002023-06-14T22:03:23.045-07:00Weekly Dose of Mark<p> </p><b><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Wednesday, June 14, 2023 • 06/14/23</span></b><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Freelance Fandango – June 5th</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">It was a small crown at Freelance Fandango with Stan Brown, Haley Waddington, and myself in attendance. Several of our regulars had picked up projects with looming deadlines. We spent several minutes laughing over Google’s translation of the Japanese kanji on the Peach-flavored Kit Kats I brought. Stan laughed so hard that it was well over a minute before he could stutter, “Smells like tight thighs.” I remember Stan showing me some of the caricatures he finished, but the rest of the conversation was dissolved in my memory by the communal laughing fit we had over the faulty translation. Nori, who was not there this week, texted me, “Noooo-!” and promised an accurate translation next week. As we exited, the delicious aroma of sugar cones lured us into an ice cream store. Stan took home a pint, Haley had a float, and I was strong and didn’t order anything. I’m trying to keep myself to one dessert daily, and I wanted to have one with Krista at dinner. Also, Krista and I binged on Strawberry Shortcake that she made with some two pounds of delicious strawberries we picked up.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Freelance Fandango – June 11th</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">John Draper dropped by just long enough to pick up the scale Krista bought at Costco; more about John later in this post. It was just Stan Brown for the first fifty minutes, and then Anique Zimmer, Nori Kimura, and Corey Macourek arrived. Anique brought in “My Neighbor Totoro” print for the Weird Cabal archive and binders. Corey showed us a concept sketch for “Spirited Away.” We spoke a little about travel. Corey just returned from doing a private installation at a residence; his pictures were pretty impressive. My mind boggled at the wealth that went into such a production. Nori will be traveling back to Japan to attend a memorial for his father, who passed last month. Stan empathized with him as he, too, recently traveled home to attend his father’s memorial. I confirmed that I saw a post from Jennevieve Schimmer that she has indeed moved back to Washington State. She and Trevor are now living in Olympia. She is looking forward to attending Freelance Fandango in the near future.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Now I’m going to talk about my friend. John has been walking between 1.7 and 2.3 miles nearly every day since the weather turned nice. He did the same last year but dropped the habit when the weather turned cold and wet. So his doctor prescribed a miracle weight loss medication. Unfortunately, the side effects hit him very hard. He’d be good for five days and then be incapacitated for five days. He’s resolved to give diet and exercise another go. I personally found weighing myself once a day to be a great motivator. This is why he asked me to pick him up a scale at Costco. The price was $13. He also picked up some Metamusil. I found that it curbs my appetite as well as adding additional fiber to my diet.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Lilac City Comic Con</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Last Friday, I drove to Spokane to participate in the Lilac City Comicon. I’ve been doing this convention for years. It really took off once they changed their venue from the community college on the edge of town to the convention center in the middle of town. This year I decided to do an artist alley table. After doing so many larger footprinted shows, I found this smaller space slightly challenging. I went on Friday so that I would not have to rush about setting up on Saturday. I’m very glad I did. I’ve retired the retractable banner, and I’m now using a photographer’s backdrop from which I hang my prints. It went up ten feet and was one of the tallest presentations at the show. I also have a very good location that was on an internal corner, which meant that I could display items off the side. Once I finished setting up, I went out to dinner with my friends Jay and Karen. I’ve known Jay for some forty years. We met in the ’80s through the SCA, the Society of Creative Anachronists. Jay writes a lot of fantasy books, and he was set up in a booth in the vendor’s section. We met up at the Onion for dinner. Jay recently reconnected with Llwelleyn, a friend we have in common through the SCA and who I had lunch with last weekend. He would have loved to have known to join us. After a fun dinner at The Onion, I had a Salmon BLT with a pea salad, they shared a lobster fettucini, and I drove up to Michael McMurphey’s house on Spokane Mountain.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0E_rutehRGu72_GFgP0VMtKRv07Z5-7Z_ta-7JVARx8xWXU2R94DufagV40dSkuAAsm5UlSOf6L2LXbrYozNz-ZedCydoopF4RL5v6hTVB73svA7uzn2l9dVJxeg-nOdNLZfyH1up4P74DZ13_3H9_U2D_CeCETnBt75362MRt_7p60zBP1vhWr0/s639/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-14%20at%209.55.03%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="639" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0E_rutehRGu72_GFgP0VMtKRv07Z5-7Z_ta-7JVARx8xWXU2R94DufagV40dSkuAAsm5UlSOf6L2LXbrYozNz-ZedCydoopF4RL5v6hTVB73svA7uzn2l9dVJxeg-nOdNLZfyH1up4P74DZ13_3H9_U2D_CeCETnBt75362MRt_7p60zBP1vhWr0/w498-h330/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-14%20at%209.55.03%20PM.png" width="498" /></a></div> <p></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Michael and Trish invited me to stay at their house last year when I came for the convention. They said the invite was standing, and I asked if I could impose it upon them again. The top floor of the house is complete, but the bottom floor, which besides housing a second guest room, will be a combination of bar, game area, library, and house Michaels studios space. They’ve made tremendous progress since last year. They are going for an Old English Pub feel, and even though it’s still in progress, the first thought I had when I stepped into the space was how much it felt like the old-world charm of Pythian Temple here in Tacoma. It was nearly ten when I arrived, we all went to bed quickly as we were attending the convention the next day, and Michael still had to set up his table.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Saturday, we ate a massive breakfast at Frank’s Diner, which was on the way. I ordered two eggs, two chicken sausages, hashbrowns, and gravy with sourdough toast. I didn’t expect the sausage to be the size of hotdogs. I couldn’t eat it all and ended up taking a link and a piece of toast with me. I ate it later for lunch like a hot dog. It was spicy, delicious, and easy enough to nibble on when the traffic slowed at the table. Not that it slowed very much; Saturday was a hectic day. There were a lot of cosplayers there for the costume contest. Some of the outfits were extraordinary, others hilarious. I took pictures when I could, but most of the time, I was busy making sales. Michael and Trish had plans, an online campaign they’ve been conducting for over a decade. So I went with Eli Wolfe to Sushi dot com for dinner. My wife and several others at the convention recommended it. Eli and I ate at the bar, and we ordered a variety of nigiri. We had Mackrel, Saltwater eel, Tamago, Medium-Fatty Tuna, and Sweet Shrimp. It was all delicious. We had a lot of fun talking about all of the shows we’ve done so far this year. Eli has been very busy trying out a lot of little shows. He thinks he’s found the ones that will bring in a solid profit and have made a list of ones that don’t yield results. I wished him good night and headed up the mountain to Mcmurphy’s. They showed up about thirty minutes after I got there. Their house currently doesn’t have internet access or much in the way of cell phone reception, so I was working on a drawing when they arrived home. Their campaign ended surprisingly early, so we chatted briefly before heading off to bed.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Trish made breakfast Sunday morning; we’re talking pancakes, eggs, and bacon. I was fortified for another day at the convention. While this day wasn’t as busy as Saturday, the pace was still pretty good, with sales consistent throughout the day. Roger Crownover, a friend I met online, showed up the day before and returned on Sunday. I was grateful to have him sit with me at my table. After a quick tutorial on how to run credit cards, I was able to have a brief look around the convention floor. I barely have a chance to see anything at these events. When I returned to the table, I learned he’d sold one of the shirts in a credit card transaction. The man is a quick study. The day was brisk enough that I didn’t have lunch but ate snacks I’d packed. Roger left before I had a chance to offer him anything. I took my time packing up; usually, I raced to break things down. This time I didn’t want to get myself in a lather. Turns out there was a long line for the elevator anyway. By the time I was loaded up, most of the convention was already gone. I got gas and hit the road. The McMurphey’s supplied me with a couple of slices of pizza from their dinner the night before to have for lunch. I ate those on the drive home, stopping a couple of times at rest stops to stretch my legs. I made an excellent time, and Krista was surprised to see me home by ten o’clock.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I did well at the show, netting just over $800. While that might not be a lot per hour profit, it’s very gratifying to have people buy the stuff you made and take it home where it will bring them pleasure. Plus, I get a chance to spend time with my friend. Thank you, Michael and Trish, for hosting me. Thank you, Jay, Karen, and Eli, for dining with me. Thank you, Roger, for the table assist, and thanks to all of my other friends who were at the show. It was a lot of fun. I hope to attend again next year. I got some ideas on how to improve my table presentation. I also ordered more print because I ran out of some during the event.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Alley News</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">About a month ago, my neighbor Don McLoed fell off a ladder in his garage. Thankfully he didn’t break anything. He did crack his head hard on the cement and said that it was a bigger crack to the head than all the times he crashed racing. Well, he was wearing a helmet during those crashes. The bump on his head was literally the size of a goose egg. He also landed on a trailer when he fell, and his ribs took a hell of a blow. They didn’t break, but he had a hard time drawing breath for a few days. I trip to the hospital took made sure that there weren’t any breaks or brain injuries. A week after this, his wife Terri when in thinking she was passing a stone. But it turns out one of her vertebrae is collapsing, and that’s what was causing her symptoms. So, she was recovering from that examination, and the two of them were hobbling around the house when she got a call from her son. He said he felt bad enough that he was going to the hospital. This meant that his father, Terri’s ex-husband, who is ninety years old, was going to be on his own. Her son has been living in her ex-husband’s house as a live-in caregiver. So, Don and Terri drove over to the Exe’s house, picked him up, and took him home with them. That’s when the fun really began. The old fella has a bit of dementia. Don would find him in the middle of the night, getting ready to head out the front door in his underwear. Another time they found him on the floor. It took them quite a while to get him upright. In short, between the incontinence, spells, and their own aches and pains, it was a hell of a week. Don complained that he used a tank of gas that week just driving everyone around to appointments and houses. The exes house is a good forty-minute drive away. After reinstalling the exe back in his house, Terri put out the word to her children that she and Don are no longer capable of being care providers. If another emergency arrives, the adult children will have to step up.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I messed up in the garden. I raked up some grass trimmings and added them to the composter. The issue is that I forgot that there were some Bishop’s Weed trimmings in with the grass trimmings, and even the heat of the compost does not seem to be enough to kill it off. Bishops’ weed spreads like wildfire, and it’s been incredibly hard to keep out of our raised beds. So I will need to dumb this batch out of the composter, perhaps in the yard where the Bishop’s Weed has already spread. It’s not a huge batch, so I’m all for just tossing the lot into the city compost. Their compost piles are huge and produce way more heat than ours. They manage to cook blackberry vines, and those things are near indestructible. Before Krista starts a new batch, I will have to do a thorough job of cleaning out the composter. We have a composter composed of two rolling barrels. So, it’s not that we lack compost. But still, I’m in the dog house on this one.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I had some dreams:</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 5</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWAxWft11HftQWSmcw2Mpxn0JtFFIZ4FCnVHkuujhRjQthUtWAmokVzT0wAe7mM3wJujfATa40-9OPEsav-_weS8ONpG_jF0gPlnK6k38ZCrupJIGo_iM2GuIUT5MuM1PsHglri5dSmdeE29D_yTnm7&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I got a job with the CIA. But, as the job went on, I found I was doing less graphic facilitation and more spy craft.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 6</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZV2lqXUePaM5h-mOJY5Sl2RNYO_a1JOShMNeE-iy5UywF8_jeUYxg2gtlGumxZiLmyvj1asywL9K7kN0seAmnSqjZGNVb8QpbAv-0wLfF2Y2Mr5IUEpbb1oSUQaYI-kFkNh1BJxFwFYnquGW8VfGcwc&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I went to a city-sized skyscraper that was on its own island in the Caribbean to attend a friend’s party. But when I got there, I was told he’d died, and it would now be a memorial.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 7</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZW3pI6y_3ah1MSp4-2CMqzfvyqBKo88xm_M0ZN8eQmoYUiMi8Q2UrL6hL7BD6hFaIg0GbrXgnLdkP0oPNrr7Jpc6d76myKvkMLCPy7bGTGrTQZsTmuY_l5zpb76RQPRk6wsQaRkRHtU_f_vGSj6XAGt&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> about the outdated devices in the Pythian Temple. They would stamp members’ addresses onto plates. The plates would then go into a hopper of a hand-cranked envelope printer.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 8</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXsRGmvdDGVoiKQfF4UoTK5w05rbvju-4VvriN9fdXhnx2fLS60F-Pq1sKP5czZPPCSaY8uPMXJ0d7yqeDi1ks9ErA8Qmemhjz5Q8UWwyr-6Rgh9rqQcV1Oi2TcscZ2FSYlVHxEb_kbGNnCdr8Vn2-J&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">, it was dark, and I made a misstep. Instead of a sidewalk, I was on a freeway on-ramp. I was backtracking when two motorcycle cops stopped and threw on their lights.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 9</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVA-OZhbgTORv1exb1OfU2HtpUDz4EeDbPJI6wJDazGWSmdtFrnAiZvYKxSV3luNcWfdFEfeyl5WGFv0TN24wc4aEh_ZCF5MT2JcIWIdwvSHw4GsGayEzIp5K4R1FMAoqgJSYZhyvJpRARUqvas8Drl&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I was at a summer resort, sometime in the not-so-distant future, watching actors and robots perform a skit based on a popular animation. One of the actors was botching his performance.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 11</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWMUp0WOYsY9PIUeKnFOJjpdea_tQTyx9EiB4mQoXeEVmU55pAwWoosNH0LXlkafUXPBdU5Gwu9LWIki2vPq6mYxVCbxzF-21mLyOE-vtq7x2XQTasqgKK2AjsQgA2WCr2LdOjVcP9FMbSb31zGXv0R&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I was hand painting the Cinnibun logo for a sign.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 12</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I want to thank my hosts and meal partners for a wonderful time a </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/lilaccitycomicon?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVRnMQDzNeONAIFAJfofxLZnZ9UAfpSd9Gwgw3OrZPyYL3GyfTL4aTVquR3kHficvolGORvip_PWp9UoRYDswJLio788mO078WX4IOLOB_Ouaqk5NcKjVRivXrS0-pi9w3_AFmedcotbbSdxxKeU9rT&__tn__=-%5DK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Lilac City Comicon</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">. Thank you, </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/michael.mcmurphy.73?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVRnMQDzNeONAIFAJfofxLZnZ9UAfpSd9Gwgw3OrZPyYL3GyfTL4aTVquR3kHficvolGORvip_PWp9UoRYDswJLio788mO078WX4IOLOB_Ouaqk5NcKjVRivXrS0-pi9w3_AFmedcotbbSdxxKeU9rT&__tn__=-%5DK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Michael McMurphy</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">, </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/patricia.mcmurphy?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVRnMQDzNeONAIFAJfofxLZnZ9UAfpSd9Gwgw3OrZPyYL3GyfTL4aTVquR3kHficvolGORvip_PWp9UoRYDswJLio788mO078WX4IOLOB_Ouaqk5NcKjVRivXrS0-pi9w3_AFmedcotbbSdxxKeU9rT&__tn__=-%5DK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Patricia McMurphy</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">, </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/jay.dancer.7334?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVRnMQDzNeONAIFAJfofxLZnZ9UAfpSd9Gwgw3OrZPyYL3GyfTL4aTVquR3kHficvolGORvip_PWp9UoRYDswJLio788mO078WX4IOLOB_Ouaqk5NcKjVRivXrS0-pi9w3_AFmedcotbbSdxxKeU9rT&__tn__=-%5DK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Jay Palmer</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">, </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/eli.wolff?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVRnMQDzNeONAIFAJfofxLZnZ9UAfpSd9Gwgw3OrZPyYL3GyfTL4aTVquR3kHficvolGORvip_PWp9UoRYDswJLio788mO078WX4IOLOB_Ouaqk5NcKjVRivXrS0-pi9w3_AFmedcotbbSdxxKeU9rT&__tn__=-%5DK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Eli Wolff</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">, and </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/nathanobrien509?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVRnMQDzNeONAIFAJfofxLZnZ9UAfpSd9Gwgw3OrZPyYL3GyfTL4aTVquR3kHficvolGORvip_PWp9UoRYDswJLio788mO078WX4IOLOB_Ouaqk5NcKjVRivXrS0-pi9w3_AFmedcotbbSdxxKeU9rT&__tn__=-%5DK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Nathan OBrien</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">; you’re the best!</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 13</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUQIueWSrweR87DSZiCIcPsTf1u4fCVy4pwv4cruFCi-Cls0QrnvZ2Jt-FBk14MDsqjiB75yAYX78XJgOqlqoAa3ShJ--j33V01mEFyIt8nAbhAn2761GbBYAOO-gLNvVvvpdsQA68mjgA0PsZ7pRFw&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> thru a comedy of errors, Nicholas Cage replaced a Nicholas Cage impersonator on the set of an independent film where he was criticized for not being enough like Nicholas Cage.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 14</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWbXa5YPKofSNimVA0yb0stMHoW2Fer-FcAACFb5rEfifYrYZYDNdmXX17p0IlSxE0Az7TLTeSpKDiSySsgB9wW3i0NXLYQzIuoiT3ZUOFCJGCx2S8OIsoevcLb81MUTUl6SlmRsWyTh-vRaOxU6pW2&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> Hugh Laurie and I were in a department store. He commented that hide-a-beds were designed to tell your guests to leave after a few days. And if you really didn’t want guests, you should invest in a futon.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I’ve not seen a lot of movies this week as I am catching up on the series “Rick & Morty.” I started to watch “The Rogues Tavern” (1937) but then realized I’d viewed it just a few months ago.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 12</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Ghost in the Shell (2017) Rating: 6</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I suggest you watch the original anime version first. Then get a nice side-by-side comparison of the live-action version. On its own, I give it a point for robots, another point for dogs with names, and then minus a point because I would have liked to have seen more of a Japanese cast. There were some odd compromises made. And if you are not at all aware of the franchise, it can be visually stunning.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">More next week,</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Mark</span></p>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-36416477090077657072023-06-04T21:34:00.000-07:002023-06-04T21:34:13.718-07:00Weekly Dose of Mark<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVFEn_P0W_loYpj5neMceCavlGiGr8XQG9PIkVHpAoEobrXYk7_DPIOehWnTAlqU1UvDPh7meBDegWgM8gEk6GJnFiAUyDhsMIDmjoj5KjhYu_ZOmjVZmXDKUJPCqk-3QAb1JppWng-UmDiD2RAHp9egHVV-yFE3eItoNhenyNCY47DO050mgk07c/s511/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-04%20at%209.27.55%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="511" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVFEn_P0W_loYpj5neMceCavlGiGr8XQG9PIkVHpAoEobrXYk7_DPIOehWnTAlqU1UvDPh7meBDegWgM8gEk6GJnFiAUyDhsMIDmjoj5KjhYu_ZOmjVZmXDKUJPCqk-3QAb1JppWng-UmDiD2RAHp9egHVV-yFE3eItoNhenyNCY47DO050mgk07c/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-04%20at%209.27.55%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Sunday, June 4th 2023 • 06/04/23</span></b></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Aunt Audra is planning a trip to visit Mom and Dad. She tried to hit me up for directions that would keep her off of I5. This led to a conversation about how bad traffic and accidents were around Portland. And, being a person full of suggestions, I thought I’d tell her about a game Krista and I play to pass the time while we’re driving.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Counting Game</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Each of the following is worth one point. If you are a type A personality, you will want to keep a list of each of them.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">1. Police Cars</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">2. Stalled Cars - without assistance. A stalled car with police could easily be a car pulled over by the police, so it only counts as a Police point.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">3. Hawks</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">4. Christmas Trees on Cars</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">5. Christmas Tree Trucks. Don’t even try to debate what the difference is between a Christmas tree on a Car vs. A truck hauling a load of Christmas trees.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">6. Road Kill. Now this is where things get tricky. If the carcass is intact and the species recognizable, that’s easy. But then you get the critters that have two halves separated by a mile or so, and you consider using the decimal system, and things get tricky. Even trickier are splats, the pulpy pink thing with indistinguishable fur that you try to convince yourself was a possum because nobody likes possums. So, we often skip those. Also, a dead hawk does not count as a hawk, only as Road Kill.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">7. Accidents. Defined as one or more cars crumpled or damaged on the side of the road. This is where having someone with you in the car comes in handy. They can rubberneck while you slow traffic with a slow pass-by. The presence of a police car also counts as a point in #1. And in this situation, the rule that applies to #2 is overlooked because a crashed car might be stalled, but a stalled car is not crashed.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">8. Christmas Trees on the side of the road. </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">9. Fires. These are typically car fires but can also be hillside fires, house fires, or discarded Christmas Trees. Fires larger than that, and you might want to focus on other things other than the counting game.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">So, just keep these simple rules in mind, and the Counting Game will help those miles and minor roadside annoyances pass by faster. Or, you can always listen to an audiobook; we do that too.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The counting game came up as a topic during my and Krista’s daily walk. Krista reminded me that this was less Christmas Tree season and more Onion Truck season. And we always counted Onion Trucks. So we elaborated on the theme and realized we count Hay Trucks and Logging Trucks. These trucks should fall into the category of Christmas Tree trucks. We debated the merits of counting livestock trucks but decided against counting those. Including livestock would mean counting horse trailers, and that way leads to madness.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I had a special treat today as I got to have lunch with my old friend Llywelyn Graeme. I first met Llywelyn back in 1982 when I went to my first SCA event. SCA stands for the Society of Creative Anachronists; it’s a group that researches and practices medieval arts and sciences. Part of this is picking a time period, then building a persona that reflects that time period. I picked the time of 1000 AD and the personal name of Trenor. I was always fascinated by the medieval ages. I sewed together my own outfit and did such a good job with it that I won a prize. I told Llwelyn’s wife Athena and his daughter Elizabeth how their father was partly responsible for my nickname. The SCA would organize tournaments deep in parks and on private campsites. Hundreds of people would arrive, set up tents, and suddenly a private medieval village up sprouted up with people cooking food of the time period, singing songs of the time period, and holding mock battles and tournaments. Llywelyn was one of the first people at met. Somehow, shortly after arriving and meeting everyone, I forgot where my campsite was located. I mislaid my food. I was so excited to be meeting so many people who shared the same interest that my lack of direction didn’t seem to be a big deal. As I met more people, my friends started to introduce me with the phrase, “This is Trenor; he is lost.” Or, this is Trenor; he lost his food.” By the end of the weekend, nearly everyone knew me by a nickname that I then took for my SCA name Trenor the Lost.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Forty years is a long time to know each other. Llywelyn and I lost track of each other, then reconnected. This morning he told me about the loss of someone we both knew from back in the day. This led to a rather sad update of our various friends who weren’t with us anymore. But, it also led to us promising to help to renew ties with the folks we both knew back in the day. Llywelyn asked me if I had any photos of some of our friends or even him. I was always taking photographs back then. I will have to dig through my photo albums and the boxes of photos I kept when I realized that keeping them in photo albums was going to take up too much space. You have to keep in mind this was long before digital photography. This was in the dark ages of the ’80s.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I met Krista at an SCA event. We dated for about a year, with a lot of that time being at SCA outings. After Krista and I moved in together, she and I stopped attending SCA events. We lost touch with many of our friends. Most of them we only knew from their personal names. It’s odd how people enter your life, then you don’t see them for years, and then they show back up again. A couple decades go by, and I’m selling my books in Donna Barr’s front yard on Clallam Bay. I’m one of three attendees of a mini-comic con you convinced me to participate in. Krista and I looked at it as a way to go out to the peninsula for a weekend. Clallam Bay is way, way, way out on the edge of Washington, where very few people go. Anyway, Krista and I take a break from selling books and go for a walk on the beach. When we return, I’m surprised to see that there is a line in front of my table. And one of those people was Llewelyn. Donna was a mutual friend, and he’d recently bought some land in the area with a mind to build a house on it. Those plans have since changed. They plan on living in Forks now. Forks is still pretty far on the edge of Washington, but it’s got a lot more health facilities than Clallam Bay. That’s something to consider when you are reaching retirement age. I’m so glad Llewyln and I reconnected on Donna Barr’s front lawn. Our fun trip became one of ‘those’ stories you share with your friends.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Graemes have traveled the world as diplomats. They spend months or years at a time living in various countries. They do have a house in Forks. A person they know lives there when they are out of the country. And when they retire in a few years, they will live there permanently. They have just returned from Japan. We exchanged gifts. They gave me some citrus seasoning, which I know Krista will love. They also gave me some special flavored KitKat, which I will be sharing at Freelance Fandango in the near future. Thank you, Llewyln and Athena, for these wonderful gifts. I gave Elizabeth some of my stickers and, for her folks, a copy of my book “The Comic Critic Presents Blockbusters.” I drew a character of Llweyln on the flyleaf. The movie he picked was “Akira.” I was a little surprised to see the family driving a U-Haul truck, but it makes sense when you think about it. They are shifting locations, and this way, they can pick up provisions along the way. It also makes sense why we met at a Red Robin Restaurant, which was nearly adjacent to the hotel. I was treated to a Royal Red Robin Burger; Llewlyn’s favorite burger is the TeriYaki, and Athena ordered a salad with some yummy chicken in it. Elizabieth had a pepperoni pizza. It wasn’t after we said our goodbyes and they left in the truck that I realized I’d forgotten to take a photo of all of us together. I’d brought my selfie stick and everything. Well, it’s only a matter of time before I visit them in Forks. I go there nearly every year to go fishing with my brothers. If the town sounds familiar to you, it might be because it was featured as the setting for the Twilight Saga franchise.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I had some dreams this week:</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">May 29</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUDS-ag3EDVU7cVlc6UjWyhPje07ZO1OWdMPl33QBGihfLTkQD6E3Ek0BHwkbaCeT9Ipi1rowtBL6XSLfAmwkKne1HD3wf353vytaPk2lH8olQIZMgkn9Gqq3ZHGrCVRJevdr7L7KEb7MG9KgWAVldn&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I was a young Aztec slave helping construct the ornamental facade of a pyramid.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">May 30</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWf8VVR9xizOuIx7O2uQNVaDYFxRXrgWF9dFQCyAoij8VEXkMU4VuglrmoiSPs7tzN4E2KwktZqjN0gGkL9PEYIH_f5eWPseJa4na1K3o_L3jSXxSDSTQfLbz_CZKf_KXsvvlhsiTZzuuioJSvHGx95&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I was remembering a trip I took with my father and brothers, and sister-in-law. Something peculiar must have occurred as none of us remember the trip.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">May 31</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUzIcN5uRKYDBiDVjTC1m48W-RHU92SaDpym_QS6-NQjtS5PhWb5DqigRUtyLQFhCksiIq5OVK03Xx4sWIo6CFu0hJNq8Q_uRra2cDEfYbkDN9Dzs_DFIMITNlPLGHK8Sxd4HNsZlj0s6HdJ7d7K3EM&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">, a war between vampires was going to start. According to the accords, all vampires gathered to put their real names in a ledger along with their weapon preference for a duel. I was given the “honor” of being the scribe.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 2</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZU4tI_dpjIIE_-N21kpZd7Hzp9pYogOSMiqhjGEVcC98V9292fA4cOR7eEftw0oPwfSa-hkijGasNVDfL49Uo3vwBI7Itw42n14SdN63gK-4H4TgCOTR6tbyP9ImjnTLZWqDxSpXEFIURvULqy5KoL9iHlJy147UVcA_sR8qEGIRg&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I was at a repair shop getting the family’s old Honda CT70 starter replaced. The roads were not safe because the local Kaiju, a 100-foot giant round plushy rooster, was roaming the streets. I don’t know which part of the dream was more implausible.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 3</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVYFmZ9NqqeeC3RSTpsHgdB2KErZ6NRSAhF7Ap1DHI3uUkRLbOJPDbK_eUIe_xuoXBg2tLhf2njANS1bkKdh-dLjIhLUEqEUy7MHw6yxabfkVDhZm8NFTHAXJI5ZzjwThnx9T8vwdb4jFnLBd-xs16Y&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I was on site for a targeted brainstorming session. I participated in a mock test created to help residents improve their performance. But it was in the ER, and people kept treating me like a real doctor.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">June 4</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXF-lHBj6JsE-Ow-NjDPVSZbZe5bRJcbys43qPWmNhFsOGgYrlb9YEk3ISRFtUezG5otS2Sz_YOcyhd8PQxsP814FM0fiY8ADc-LNU3h4VxC1BrPo1KN8u2CfUDayciYADZg1M75aBWaOQvMYuvLtKI&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I got a job as a short-order cook during the graveyard shift. What would normally be a slow night became hectic when the restaurant across the street closed to sand and varnish their floors.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Songs I woke up with in my head:</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Books I listened to this week:</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“Lizzie and Jane” by Katherine Reay, Rating: 6</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Two sisters are dealing with past differences caused by the pain of losing each other at the same time as losing their mother to cancer. The author does a nice job of connecting food to person likes, specifically literature. There’s a lot of angry lashing out caused by fear of cancer and death, both metaphorically and literally. This isn’t a woman-wailing book, nor is it a Pollyanna book. It’s a what I think of as a Wading Book, where you have to move with caution because you can’t see under the surface. Yeah, there should be footing down there somewhere, but you’re likely to slip and skid a little while you make your way.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“What Moves the Dead” by T. Kingfisher, Rating: 6</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">This is a clever retelling of the Fall of the House of Usher. You should read the original Fall of the House of Usher to get the most out of it. That way, you can make enough of this variation when you read how the writer redrafts preconceptions. I’d love to see this made into a horror movie; it’s fully structured to appeal to today’s audience. And our main character is a fun person to understand.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Movies I’ve seen this week:</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">56. May 24</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Seven Were Saved (1943) Rating: 5</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I think we get to see every model of air-sea rescue plane the armed services used when this was shot. We also get to see a lot of Actors and Actresses who came this close to mainstream stardom. I was going to give this movie a four, but it’s because I was familiar with so many of the actors, some of who would appear in hundreds of films, that I notched it back up to a five. I try to watch at least one war-themed movie on Memorial Day. I watched a bad public-domain version of this film on YouTube.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">57. June 2</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">They Got Me Covered (1943) Rating: 4</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">This is the third worst Bob Hope movie I’ve seen. I was going to give it three points. But then I decided to give it an extra point for it being Doris Day’s last film. Not the famous Doris Day, but the other one. Good luck Googleing her without running afoul of the famous Doris Day. Her appearance was less than a minute, but her stunning beauty and carefully arranged sheet made for one of the best, now politically incorrect, wolf whistles. It also has a few minutes with one of my favorite character actors, Donal Meeks. As I search for Bob Hope films I haven’t seen, I’m bound to run over a couple of his less-than-stellar movies.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">58. June 2</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Devil Below (2021) Rating: 3</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I wanted to watch a creature feature, and this movie looked promising. But, about the most you will get to see of the creature on the movie poster; the rest is blur-o-rama. Even a bigfoot film from the ’70s will allow for a little bit of focus. Minus one point for that disappointment. And while I was expecting there to be plenty of dark scenes, what with it being underground and all, I still found the usage of flashlights to be excessive. So, minus one point for that.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">More next week,</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Mark</span></p>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-28639676971504548532023-05-28T22:18:00.004-07:002023-05-28T22:18:44.752-07:00Weekly Dose of Mark<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswptXwRyzV56YQkqdUv1rouqCdBl-JyICcAAutZcHfQ_k9ZOpvTtmT_v53gnNo6NZd0gR1UqRuV7ymzyz5BP2DX-qhordTSS_KKuYRPAXCG4juf_xWpCAx6TsWemPFoMNfqMcuMTjmaKmrbu_ez-AK3CfQN_YiCU2yuaBlYXxScLpfyeeyuSeUmKk/s4032/Miriam-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswptXwRyzV56YQkqdUv1rouqCdBl-JyICcAAutZcHfQ_k9ZOpvTtmT_v53gnNo6NZd0gR1UqRuV7ymzyz5BP2DX-qhordTSS_KKuYRPAXCG4juf_xWpCAx6TsWemPFoMNfqMcuMTjmaKmrbu_ez-AK3CfQN_YiCU2yuaBlYXxScLpfyeeyuSeUmKk/s320/Miriam-16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Sunday, May 28th 2023 • 05/28/23 – Memorial Day Weekend</span></b></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I didn’t write a Weekly Dose last Friday because there was too much going on at the time. And, as often happens, so much kept happening that another week went by. I’m going to do my best to get you caught up.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The first change to my schedule occurred on Monday, May 15th. Normally I would host a freelancer gathering at the Red Elm Café. This small gathering is called Freelance Fandango, and it runs from 11am until 1pm. However, I had to miss it because the Tacoma Art Commission scheduled an online video conference for all selected artists to create artwork wraps for crosswalk utility boxes. We were going to be instructed on how to file contracts and the measurements of the artwork. Representatives from the print company and the city were both there. After their presentation, I had several questions. The questions I raised inspired the other artists to ask for clarification on small specifics. I’m very glad I took the time to attend and didn’t rely on the recording of the event. I went onto Freelance Fandango’s Facebook page and saw that there was a fun turnout of people without me. Everyone complained about the lack of Kit Kats. </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Another change to the schedule was Krista having to go into her office in Olympia on Wednesday. She does much better working at home. But, this was a council meeting, and it needed someone on-site to run events. </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Thursday, I was busy prepping my bins for Crypticon. Crypticon is the largest horror-themed convention in Washington State and is held at a hotel in SeaTac, very near Sea-Tac airport. It runs three days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. John Draper helped me on Friday. I spent a little extra to be in the vendor hall rather than the artists’ alley. Not only did I have a backdrop, but the vendor to my right put up a plywood wall between us. With their permission took advantage and draped a spare red tablecloth over it and then hung my shirts on it rather than the poster backdrop. The folks on my other side were a tattooist. He had people booked on his table throughout the entire event. I was grateful for John being there. I would have taken him out to dinner as a thank you. But when I sent him out at lunchtime for some sandwiches, he bought himself a sandwich for dinner. That was a good idea as the Crypticon show starts late and ends late. The vendor’s hall didn’t close until 8 pm. I dropped John off at nine and ate a small dinner with Krista when we got home. I would have to ask John if he had a chance to talk with any of the writers who were selling books at the show.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Allen Gladfelter helped me on Saturday. Allen picked me up at eight, and we had breakfast at Little Jerry’s down the street. We didn’t have to rush and enjoyed a nicely paced breakfast. I’m not used to eating a big breakfast and was quite fortified. Allen was kind enough to use his car so that Krista could use our car to pick up plants and the like for her weekend activities. Allen has helped me at several conventions, and I can rely on him to pitch and sell items when I step away from the table. Allen is slowly getting items of his own to sell: books, prints, and stickers. So we added those to the display, and he made some sales.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I allow myself to get one autograph when I’m at Crypticon. There were a lot of celebrities to choose from. This year I chose Dee Wallace. Dee Wallace is an Actress I’ve been following since the ’80s. Most people will remember her as the mom in “E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial.” She was also the lead actress in “The Howling” and” Cujo.” She’s been active for decades in both film and television. Most of the films have been horror films, so it was very easy for me to keep track of her. I left Allen at the table to see if the line for her autographs was short enough for Allen to get a signature for me. But I got lucky, and she was finishing up with a fan as I went to the table and chose a headshot from “The Howling” for her to sign. As she signed it, she asked if I’d be willing to toss in another $20 for a selfie with her. I couldn’t refuse! I could not get over what a small petite woman she was. And as she signed the photo, I complemented how well her most recent headshot looked. She then said, “Oh, let me give that to you for free.” And she signed it as well. So I had to do something for her. I went back to my table and drew a picture of her in the movie “Cujo,” where she is trapped in the car with the dog on the hood, trying to get in. I then went back and gave it to her when her line had quieted down. She laughed when she saw it. She then flipped through the book to where I drew a review of “E.T.” I’d compared the movie to a boy and his dog film. She laughed again and gave me a motherly slap on the shoulder like I had just tried to pull a fast one. “My husband is going to love this.” She told me.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I have lots of friends who have tables at Crypticon. It’s hard for me to get time to visit them all. Elizabeth Guizzetti writes and illustrates books featuring vampires and aliens. Other artists I know who were in Artist Alley are Eli Wolff, Mark Brill, Chad Scheres, and Nick Gucker. I chose to be over in the vendor’s room this time and sat across from Jason Emmott and his wife at Evil Threads. I was worried that my friend Travis Bundy wasn’t going to be able to sit the entire convention because of back pain. But he has Kevin McCoy with him, and that lightened the load enough that he was able to manage all three days. I’d hoped to have my neighbor Pat Smith with me on Sunday, but he had other commitments. Thankfully I was able to manage by myself, and Crypticon is a very easy show to set and tear down as the car was parked very close by. The show was not as profitable as last year, but last year it was absolutely nuts! So, it’s tough to compare the two shows. I think I will still stay in the vendor’s hall because of the extra display options.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">My Uncle Bill, an identical twin to my father, moved to Shoreline, WA, on May 25th. I’m going to give him a call in a few days. I think his daughters are moving him into his apartment right now. I know that they were invited to a wedding. I believe it’s Cody Wagner’s wedding, a relative on his late wife’s side of the family.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I was able to host Freelance Fandango this last Monday. There were seven of us in attendance: Britton Sukys, Corey Macourek, Stan Brown, Nori Kimura, Haley Waddington, Mark Brill and myself. Cory and Brill brought in movie poster art to show. Brittan brought comic and graphic novel art that he’s been working on. Brill brought in another art book. I asked everyone to submit suggestions for a new bingo game I’m creating. I made one for horror movie fans that is selling well, so I want to create one for Anime fans. By the end of the meeting, the whiteboard was filled with suggestions. These were erased, and then we all drew versions of the proposals. I brought a new KitKat flavor this week: Banana Caramel. It was voted one of the better flavors. I made sure to bring one home for Krista since she found the bag. I also have been giving a couple to the staff of the Red Elm Café as a thank you. They have been very generous in letting us use their meeting room for nothing more than the snacks and meals we buy.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Once a month, I host another event, a drawing session at the Grand Cinema. We call it The Grand Drawing Room. It runs for two hours from 6-8pm. Attendance for this event has been filling the room. This month we had a cosplayer named Miriam as our model. One of my tasks is to position the model into interesting poses for the artists. We also changed the room’s layout this time, with the tables close to the sofa on which the artist stood and sat. Before, we had things arranged with the tables in rows, and late arrivals were stuck in the back rows. This month many of the artists brought friends who were in the back reading books and watching the group quietly draw. One of the artists approached me after the show and asked if she could be the cosplay model for next month. I've already posted the event announcement with her photo. I set up a Facebook page so everyone had a location where they could show off their artwork. You can see photos and sketches of our sessions at: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1042279923844176">https://www.facebook.com/groups/1042279923844176</a></span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Speaking of the Grand Cinemas, both Mark Brill and James Stowe did movie posters this week. Brill did a poster for “The Seven Samurai,” and Stowe did a poster for “Perfect Blue.” I gave the binders holding past posters to Brill before his on Thursday. I then retrieved them and took them to Stowe for his turn in the lobby on Friday. I sat with him and helped to keep track of sales. He sold more posters on Saturday. </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">There were several shows happening this weekend. I didn’t make it into the Punk Rock Flea Market. I was accepted off the waiting list for Tacoma’s Night Market, but by then, I’d already committed to doing the Tabletop Expo. But this week was up in the air as Krista and I weren’t sure if we’d be traveling or not. In the end, I did not table at the Table Top Expo, but Allen Gladfelter and Mark Brill did. Instead, Stowe and I carpooled up to Renton to be part of a panel. Polo, the organizer, asked me if I could line up some artists. Stowe and I stopped at The Cedar River Smokehouse for a BBQ lunch before we went to the expo. He had a chopped porked sandwich. I ordered the brisket sandwich. The owner came out and told us about some new sandwiches he was offering. Instead of a long bun, these would be on a round potato or onion bun, with coleslaw and pickles as part of the sandwich. I changed my order to it and was glad I did so; it was delicious. Stowe’s side selection was coleslaw, so he didn’t change his order. My side was macaroni and cheese. The extra carbs were delicious. Our panel was not as well attended as I had hoped. It was Stowe, Allen, and myself at the table with nobody in the audience. The show was very small and thinly attended. However, we turned on the microphones and made them loud enough that they could be heard over some of the expo hall and got into a discussion with each other. The debate lured our lone audience member into the room. He was joined by the organizer, and we had fun. Both Stowe and Allen are teachers and are looking forward to summer break so that they can hang out with the rest of their artist buddies. Stowe made sure to give me the Grand Cinema poster binders for safekeeping.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Alley News</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">My neighbor Pat Smith and I have gone on walks nearly every day, even on days when I’ve already gone on a walk with Krista. Pat taught me a couple of Pokemon Go this week. He called me up yesterday to see if I wanted to go for a walk. I turned him down as I was busy out in the yard with the weed whacker. The replacement for the battery I ordered still is being processed. I wonder if they discovered that all of their stock is filled with faulty batteries. In the meantime, I’m stuck using the weedwhacker. I tried the push mover, but the grass was too long for it to function easily. It’s been sitting idle for several years, and I’m sure the blades need sharpening. Krista bought plants. She’s also been planting seeds and cuttings that she nurtured over the winter. We should be getting some vegetables soon. Judy Martin is sitting outside on her carport now that the weather is warmer. The Smiths are over at her house a couple of times each day. We were yelling at each other not to give away any spoilers, as today was the last day of the Sumo Tournament. Krista and I have gotten our neighbors addicted to watching sumo.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I had some dreams:</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">May 14</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZV3wQQYwQgSWyVs0PupW2kipwPnVIX3VdwXuzI2v3Ov04WUTKNE1RgWCjpZ0J78M22wRrjBnE-bSNoWLmoeEHIkNetBq1Oh9mGAXiKbjiEurxhevYRD6LNJGD1c33GhmW0lDgSWhmJNfDTtLO6J6-8n&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> time-traveling teenagers from the future infiltrated high schools in the past. Rather than murder, they assassinated would-be politicians’ characters with rumor, innuendo, and such.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">May 15</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUkA8tVmr2myHzqoWEoGIibQ9hMZnxLQp42hSiwSXo33bXFsXZFP3GoouYoKQ7R6j2d1Bh_HEn9B6bS1IxCY-fmgrDq379l2tKfvh48YP1_K8KBUO_kLZ-K1JBuiHmze__QxPTh7dJiV2_cWQVeG9Wr&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I was a runaway youth who was also a material witness. I was bad at faces but good at remembering badge numbers. I ran from the police assigned to my transportation because they had black tape over their badge numbers.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">May 16</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXmqbFi-O2nYDFXh0EowGFEZ84cDzDVO716qR9YaoXeUQSMcTTS3zeMLbxe8d4DO_Jpj0CzuRCbf-5h42rdl2aUn3JSOa-QcRZ8wTneNvsEZtGCbpgUgLr4jnGj2a6ajpeW40n9VNlApJ8hgTYk5r9_&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> that I could tell when one dream stopped and another began. My brain then had the option of rewinding the dream for two minutes to change the ending.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">May 17</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWaXylzsM-bkjFgQ7aoEJmdfWQaY_zDmjLVm4gxfQs8UUDQONuiAMgZfi6Vrz6NjIqe_NGoxU1zM0BoEpEmz9xzKU8_eeT0OK_NX-4ehDO2OFFDEg4CV5CQo9aKZrtIJzu2LQw-GPYA4n5l34ci1b3b&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> While doing an old friend a favor, I walked into a plot to blow up a wealthy oil magnate while he was getting drunk at a club. I think I was the only sober one there, but high school chemistry was a long time ago.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">May 18</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZU9FvaHM-Y8QG9PFTTbd4Z9KEI1FUUGClx4cnHZqVm5rJmKAMpCJOadPaZJ1UCUMwJq7YPs7qnhtOrb7R9PRGSaszIYCkJfMcSgtZzu5YYOZowGPp7XCKw5D6IyTqe0ZdMQA09FoiXCzmfKXkxeYVgW&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> Barack Obama wanted to hire me to do a graphic novel. He’d hired another artist who did it, but his advisors didn’t like it. I looked at it and saw it was superior to what I could do and told him so. He still wanted to do it.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">May 19</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUQZ18xhULQVkAwSLd4SdeJ1xUjRqIay3lBYOfn3Cd-CqHdOEw3-qGDO-5ab3D1t1dpTcAQTQDZ2G93o1L-IHB5f41X5buT8ko3xWYdT0cEMGBEehWhKge0ab0qLoC7ckmimGphBDEUaSBSSnCm3lrG&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> creating a space station with a functioning pool was less of a challenge than you would think. The surprise was in water in the pool becoming sentient a few decades later.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">May 22</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZX1u5cXWPyVncdR5uxgyMjUcGbF-23qq7vk8UJg9JvF8TF3egi3pcGvsBz8Qxbn-rEhJQkKv3cOAoFQn8QMz3ydDeYPHONbcc8vxoVTOBNVytKnBLBMFld4TM8RWYUw9yGYyEEc45Li3M_HLRqgThY4&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I was meeting my sister at Steam Engine Station’s Cafe, where she went to get a Latte. I found her flirting with a young Marlon Brando. I wondered if we were in the afterlife, and I was just slow in figuring it out.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">May 23</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I dreamt I was at a client’s convention, searching through two flash drives for images to insert into a PowerPoint presentation mere minutes before their time slot was scheduled.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">May 24</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWBqRZffHW3GxAi_dZWqWSlUFBFwCC3KL8kT_n0os1AtjetYHuGNyUiJYltxHWDfNFNgjLTZGUltjHVp6IUQWnsmV0gEm7sX6sUNmwJ4fo6SuazBhUpysgB-02Dy28PsVoxxE2ypYqNYULvD-OAk3eD&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> David Hasselhoff was celebrating his birthday by giving away fried chicken at a seaside bar. He was also signing his autograph. He was behaving just like he did in “Piranha 3DD”.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">May 25</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWGLACoM9CecRMskpxbn6vPbVBdR34RSphuqC31II1bJh9J4_S2UylgkTd4vdJAeiVMdsiXCWLkF9iNkn6ZDFu4mSoufI3KsomdgktUhTQZW6OuuzGC00Y47QxM62SGpZPCw1Qc1N8gelrurtKPaT0n&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> after its debut at a county fair, the Rat-Bait Guitar was remarked as a dog’s chew toy (minus the rat poison). Sales soared after a TikTok video showed a dog being a music critic.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">May 26</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I dreamt I took a large cedar tree pole to a lumberyard and haggled with them over its value.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">May 28</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVIIhurt53_QUk-m1EnSNndiI_08wDb7dtZR068u28ZhWnY0Vl_FkGSu-XrkiZnumXTkSaIwLnfxzc2Fz2SZdB60PfFTyWjGe_-jycDwHsSj8VDyd0l21DacOfCNBUiBelTQnWLcn1SGsoELDaI3Jmd&__tn__=*NK-R" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">#IDreamt</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> I was mistaken for a spy and found myself wearing an exosuit that could mimic my physical appearance and completely protect me. The drawback was I couldn’t take it off. And it could mess with my mind by feeding me false info.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I read a couple of books:</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“Paperback From Hell: The Twisted Story of ’70s and ’80s Twisted Horror Fiction” by Grady Hendrix, Rating: 10</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I was a voracious reader from an early age. As a teenager and college student, I consumed 3-5 books a week, often re-reading my favorites. And I was a horror fan. It never occurred to me that these decades would be the heyday for such books. As I flipped through the pages, I was amazed. I pointed to the covers and said, “I read this one, and this one, and this one, and this one. Oh, and this one too.” I’ve been showing this book to my friends, and they asked if I’ve read any of the ones featured. They chortle when I confess I’ve read most of them. They become intrigued. I don’t know why. A lot of those books were completely trashy! Most of them were! But I couldn’t get enough of their gory, nightmare-fueling contents. Now I’m using it as a reference to hunt down books at the used bookstore. These aren’t titles you will find in the audiobook section of the library. My niece, who bought me this book as a gift, was intrigued and might get herself a copy.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“Sacrament” by Clive Barker, Rating:7</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">There was less goo and grisel than I was expecting. And since I kept expecting it, I was kept on edge. It wasn’t until I was halfway through the book that I settled on the rhythm the author established for the story. That was a bit of relief. I hadn’t read a horror novel in a while. I first started to read Barker in the ’80s when horror was a bit extreme in themes, description, and insane writing decisions. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to wade up to my hips in gore and goop. That’s not to say that there is a lack of some disturbing images. I enjoyed hearing Mr. Barker’s storytelling voice again.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I’ve watched some movies</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">53. May 16</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">No Man of Her Own (1932) Rating: 7</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">It’s quite possible I watched this film when I was a kid, that is, if they allowed pre-code movies on television. The romance angle must have left me flat if I had watched it before. I was probably more interested in the card shark aspects. As an adult, I enjoyed it for many reasons. I got to think about how much better movies were pre-code when the innuendo allowed for more salaciousness. I enjoyed it as it was the only time the two leads worked together, even though they would marry years later. And I enjoyed it because of the character actors and the wonderful sets. These early films kindle my nostalgia. I watched it on a Netflix DVD.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">54. May 18</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Ted (2012) Rating: 7</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">There comes a time when you realize you’ve watched the same clips from a movie so many times that had you spent that same amount of time just watching the film, you would have seen the whole thing by now. So, before I started to get my Ted clips confused with Ted 2 clips, and before the rumored Ted 3 came out, I thought I should see the film. Why haven’t I seen this film? Perhaps it’s because I don’t smoke pot, drink beer, or make jokes about hookers. And having met Sam J. Jones, I can tell you my reaction to the experience was very much like that in the movie - minus the cocaine. I watched it on Amazon Prime.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">55. May 24</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Deadly Mantix (1956) Rating: 6</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Do you want to see a giant mantis? This is the film for you. It also comes with lots of stock footage of air force planes. There’s also a lot of footage of civilian airforce spotters. Perhaps a thank you for all their hard work in looking for airplanes that never appeared during WWII. The danger of the cold war was made abundantly clear with multiple references to the various lines of defense against “the threat” against “us.” I watched it on a DVD from my personal collection.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Not a movie, but an Anime series on Netflix I finished watching:</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre (2023) Rating: 6</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I lived in Japan for a year back in 1979 before Anime and Manga started to influence American culture. But I got hooked on it while I was there, and I was particularly fascinated by their spooky tales, which differed in their approach to horror. This collection captures the weirdness of their horror.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Songs I woke up with in my head:</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“Honky Tong Women” by the Rolling Stones</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“Royals” by Pentatonix</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> “Here Comes The Sun” by the Beatles</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“The Distance” by Cake</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">“Tusk” by Fleetwood Mac</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">More next week,</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Mark</span></p>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-38812315420859869742023-05-13T23:34:00.005-07:002023-05-13T23:34:35.264-07:00Weekly Dose of Mark<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJ6IAffVVhw23nnqS-j9iWebjw0touMc9A7zowldsjVYRk9oFk0C_e2cRxkueY4JDM7Pi2BCDK60bEBysrcirUuNAKNeEUEJZbNEA8KHQYsVpPJ68mHiaCnlOzMt_7pEb5ei8_j4ueO0ba52o2ayOZtnUUcSoiJ223OfdDOVfl1TMUJsz0ApCtJhh/s3264/IMG_7119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJ6IAffVVhw23nnqS-j9iWebjw0touMc9A7zowldsjVYRk9oFk0C_e2cRxkueY4JDM7Pi2BCDK60bEBysrcirUuNAKNeEUEJZbNEA8KHQYsVpPJ68mHiaCnlOzMt_7pEb5ei8_j4ueO0ba52o2ayOZtnUUcSoiJ223OfdDOVfl1TMUJsz0ApCtJhh/s320/IMG_7119.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<p></p>
<p><b><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #0e101a;">Saturday, May 13th, 2023 • 05/13/23</span></b></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">There were two birthdays in the family his week.
Happy Birthday to my nephew David, and Happy Birthday to my Aunt Christine. I
trust you both got your birthday cards.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Last weekend Krista and I were busy doing some
Spring Cleaning. It was the first time in years that both the garbage can and
the recycling can were full. I even made a run to the recycling drop to unload
glass and batteries for recycling. One of the reasons the recycling container
filled up was because of the cardboard boxes. We had at least a dozen empty
boxes of various sizes. Well, they weren’t technically empty; they were filled
with other boxes nesting inside of other boxes. We finally came to our senses
and realized we had an obvious knack for finding boxes that were “just the
right size,” so why hoard them? Other items that made it into the recycling
were the owner’s manuals for devices and appliances that we tossed out years
ago. Speaking of ancient machines, I made a trip to Goodwill to drop off a
bunch of appliances that got replaced or had a faulty fuse. The purge was a
success. We are still convinced we have more stuff. But we actually tossed a
lot of useless junk, stuff which neither one of us had any love or connection
with, like the cardboard boxes.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I thought it might be Stan Brown and me at
Freelance Fandango this week. But in through the door walked Mark Brill and
Corey Macourek. The four of us create movie posters for the Grand Cinema, so we
spent half of the meeting talking about the art being created for this month.
We spent the other half of the meeting showing and telling the books we brought
in. Mark Brill brought in a book that showed off the first Star Wars comic, in
full size, complete with the artist’s notes, whiteout, and other printing notes
on the production boards. Four cartoonists geeking out over other cartoonists
on a beloved subject matter filled the room with nerd-joy.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Uncle John and Aunt Caroline came to visit from
Denver. They had a lot of checkboxes for this trip. Caroline wanted to 1. check
out the “Ikat: A World of Compelling Cloth” exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum.
2. Visit with their Niece and Nephew in Tacoma. 3. Visit their Nephews in
Bellingham. Krista and I went with them up to the Seattle Art Museum. Both of
us were familiar with Ikat textiles from various shows on NHK. The amount of
planning it takes to create a thread, bind it, die it, lay it on traditional
looms, and then weave it so that the tie-died threads line up to create
patterns is mind-boggling. It was an awe-inspiring show, and we learned a lot.
I would have loved to take in the rest of the art museum as well, but we had to
pace ourselves. We still had lunch, a walk through the Pike Place Market,
shopping at a Chocolate shop, and Uwajimaya to get completed before driving
back to Tacoma. The next day was absolutely gorgeous, so we went for a walkout
at Rustin Point. There was a section of the walk that only opened in within the
last couple of years. So it was a new experience for all of us. We then did a
party split. Caroline went thrifting with Krista, and John and I went to the
LeMay Car Museum. Yes. I was there last month with my brother Stan. But the
LeMay collection is huge! And they are constantly rotating cars in the exhibit.
I would guess that only half of the cars there were the ones I saw last month.
John said he could have spent another couple of hours in the place. Our timing
was good as Krista and Carolyn were wrapping up their tour of the thrift
stores. Krista brought me back a painting for me to add art into and a long
sleeve yellow shirt produced by Land’s End. I love long sleeve yellow shirts,
and this one looked like it was never worn. Krista picked it up for $3. Carolyn
showed me some kimono fabric she found while they were thrifting.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">When John and I were at the car museum, he
pointed out a car that was almost like the first one he owned. The one in the
museum was a wagon, and he was a sedan; other than that, it was the same model
and year. He told me that he bought it when he was in college for $200. He
didn’t pay for it all at once but instead was making weekly payments. He
thought he’d have all summer to pay it off. But, being a high school kid, we
would often make his weekly payment a day or two late. Not surprisingly, the
fellows he bought the car required that he pay the remaining sum. He managed to
come up with the remaining $100. He told me it was the type of car where you
checked the gas and refilled the oil. Meaning it drank more oil than gas. I
asked him what became of the car. He answered, “Tessie.” Tessie was Krista’s
mother, and I was more than a little familiar with her rough treatment of
automobiles. Krista had several horror stories about her mother driving cars to
her demise. Tessie never checked the oil, or did any maintenance, only added
gas. When John went to college, he left her the keys saying she could drive
their mother to get groceries. He was surprised to get a call from the police
saying that they found it abandoned in the middle of a long stretch of empty
highway. He could get it towed, or they would confiscate it. Since he was
attending college in another state, there was nothing for him to do but give up
the car.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">John and Carolyn did not get the rental car for
which they originally requested. Instead, they were given a Hyundai Genesis. My
first impression was of a stylish sedan. While the internal acoustics allowed
for all of us to carry on a conversation, it was difficult to get in and out of
the car. I don’t think they will rent that model again.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Our final stop on Thursday was Sushi Tama. We
placed a reservation earlier in the day as seating was limited. Carolyn,
Krista, and I had a variety of sashimi and sushi. John had Salmon and tempera.
Since the location was my idea, I wanted to pay the bill, but John beat me to
it. He covered our lunch the day before when we were at Tom Douglas’s Seafood
Rub Shack and Fish Fry. If I remember correctly, I had the squid, Krista and
Caroline had the shrimp, John had Salmon, and there was an appetizer of Salmon
spread and chips. Fine, I’ll just have to capture the bill next time when we
are in Denver.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Carolyn just returned from a trip to Japan. She
said she loved Japanese food and didn’t mind having it again on her return. Her
trip to Japan was another pilgrimage to check out textiles. But she wasn’t
completely happy with her trip. The lack of a detailed itinerary or group time
had her visiting more temples and shrines than the textile crafts shops. Still,
visiting Japan is a unique experience. I can hardly wait to travel there with
Krista. It’s been over four decades since I was there, and I’m sure a lot has
changed, even the temples and shrines. No, I’m serious. I’ve seen recent photos
of the shrines I visited. Back in the day, the red paint had aged to an almost
brown hue, and the pillars were covered with various inscribed paper seals that
were pasted on randomly. Now all the seals are gone, and a fresh red coat of
paint has the shrine almost glowing. I’m sure there’s been a lot of other
renovations too. She told me a little about her trip to the restaurant. But she
shared many more details with Krista when they were thrifting.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">My one regret was that I meant for us to get a
group photo with my selfie stick before they took off to visit with their nephew
in Bellingham. Did I mention that he runs a comic books store there?</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Alley News</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">The replacement for the starting battery of the
lawnmower arrived this week. But, it turned out to be defective. It arrived
with no charge and without the ability to charge. I took it to the battery
store to double-check. The customer service I called was a place in India that
apologized for the issue. The rep said we were forwarding the problem along and
that I would get an email telling me what to do next. I’m frustrated. I feel I
could have written my own email and not spent fifteen minutes on hold. So, I’m
not confident that a replacement for this expensive battery is on the way.
Meanwhile, the grass is longer than it was when Pat helped me cut it two weeks
ago. I got out the weed whacker and mowed the garden and around the raised beds
on the side of the house so Krista could get her boxes of plants from the
garden store into the ground.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">It was 40 degrees last week. Now it’s 80
degrees. I went from layers and long sleeves to a single short sleeve shirt.
Krista says she needs to wear a hat. I think she burned the skin in the part of
her hair.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">We came back with John and Caroline from one of
our outings to find a big truck unloading a large crate at my neighbor Dan’s
house. I went over to investigate. Dan likes to go on motorcycle road trips
with his sons when the weather is good. They suggested to him that he get a
trailer for his motorcycle so that “he” would have more space to pack stuff.
Dan thinks they want to take advantage of the space as well. The trailer was
still tightly sealed in the large wooden crate. But he proudly showed me a
picture of the trailer. Its paint matches his motorcycle, and it has wheel
covers on it, just like his motorcycle. This weekend, he plans to attach the
hitch and give it a test haul. He’s never driven a motorcycle with a trailer
before and thinks he should get some practice before going on a trip.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Here are some of my dreams from the last week:</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">May 6</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUi6bcZHPQpathfYuqGQ7BU2O10kkvgfpyi99pEy_oe9LoXjRbEZgZyMs0hg8E8q1i-XGj3g2se_zFyxBVqT4GU4d3ntzi3vnqMVXFaGWF5ttxfSq_-BRqpk4khjlbaQkspeLdMWAPLe0xwMTKZncpc&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> I was a very amiable police
detective named Davis. I was good at my job, most of which was handling vice cases.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">May 8</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVmltAW8D_bJueX5AM0A9eIU2aWWdZA6NpqZcDidZ9ZeqSlRXTauZLQlBBkESz_TJqFBwidh8CjqAMtiRDSTYx7I0K-MOlzeC1848LvJEMVCzJ_uwns2SX0cZMdkdBnZKFmi-Cn6gjXiSu38CODaEuF&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> I did a thumbnail comp of a
billboard design to help a friend overloaded with work. It was an incomplete
concept meant for an early review by the client. I was shocked to see it
installed the next day.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">May 9</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXBNTJRgeIiRY3ZNkiyeMpc8tKvWR3ufB8gFCt-XafAl5_02t33-_h33CCrBJuyXN8_hmtqSatW2_pP9IzC4jOsVl3e9a8VV6rQIHFVCOAbN1Z2ZZ0a2fdQ8gztU3E1rxIPfNlQ2OU42zGPrm9RS1ns&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> two kids made a presentation to their
town in their father’s barn. They explained how cold fusion worked and could be
made. It wouldn’t be cheap, but it could save the world.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">May 10</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUGcY57mXw7weZGbEqHyEviP-AONslkpfIGvqjoE2iVCkZ2biLaR-MGbwMU2EOErNSOaiqQfjq6-7bIzARCRHJhHzAXmPZSO99oyCFoiErCMWiDZcpnzLtlGAxEmdgV5lraoDwBAsFZhzYhP_vgNz5N&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> of a post-apocalyptic world
where the remaining .05% of the population was trying to rebuild, form
townships, and stable societies. My assignment this month was to act as a
courier between two settlements.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">May 11</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXj-u_YGaHIrwh6Ir5stXtnWQ2ug_L8j5H3XFGsyulUJ4zch1y5mC7yOBCd9iZCtXNtHOeOon5FVj0vNr_TjLnGfC6D_TDmEQ-VFMzTto13TuAJigCVO87InOB7n5UETyf4koQl3JtdxlFo-Q9Fu9kF&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> it was a post-apocalypse world.
I met a nun with a guitar working as a troubadour while seeking others of her
order.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">May 12</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZV0cKfVfri_wnkI1QmRx5Txv4Ub4sRozBMxzpUnnHnxvsq5vZYF65Z5KDVMnKhtaEAZ_RVZymUa8Itj_MuU_jfAeh-Cx30Vm6c8HVUyAoKv0WGHVSHsbLKgKzuN-Z8yYYKRbQU9oEcYQc1BO-RYazjU&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> I was a young slave in ancient
times, getting ready to escape after months of careful planning. The best part
of the dream was being young.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Songs I woke up with in my head:</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“Wandering Star” by Lee Marvin</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“Jamaica Way” by Duke Harris</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“The Morning After” by Maureen McGovern</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Books I listened to this week:</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“Before Your Memory Fades” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“Tales from the Café” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Movies I watched this week:</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">51. May 8</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">M3GAN (2022) Rating: 8</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">There’s a good theme here of apps and devices
becoming nannies for kids when what they really need is a human connection. I
can see M3gan becoming a franchise. An extra point for having robots as a main
theme. An extra point for having a dog with a name. And another point for being
deliciously creepy. I watched this on Peacock.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">52. May 12</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Honest Thief (202) Rating: 6</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I like watching Liam Neeson movies. You don’t
know if he’s going to go over the top, then quiet, cool, then quiet, or rage,
then quiet. In this one, he does a little of all of them. I enjoyed the
character he portrayed in this one. I give it an extra point for having a dog
with a name</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">More next week,</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Mark</span></p>
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{margin-bottom:0in;}</style><br /> </p>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640960764609693925.post-2022787465279658292023-05-05T21:47:00.002-07:002023-05-05T21:47:39.587-07:00Weekly Dose of Mark<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusBw-joG4PPyKni8q52KjAuLi4r3CZZ4zEUNBuccHkjip-7UIX1o_MWbBRRISKtHOfNQsNE76zA0JZmtE1TgzD2yaQYi-wX2_TNAHEI7k8_ppFMprvNI_xNQqCXJwd8hAeGD9yXpgLDpbgZC47lVroM8wiauNNPZXdQXaJUOHHpa-OX6tU1qlL7fn/s360/platforms2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="360" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusBw-joG4PPyKni8q52KjAuLi4r3CZZ4zEUNBuccHkjip-7UIX1o_MWbBRRISKtHOfNQsNE76zA0JZmtE1TgzD2yaQYi-wX2_TNAHEI7k8_ppFMprvNI_xNQqCXJwd8hAeGD9yXpgLDpbgZC47lVroM8wiauNNPZXdQXaJUOHHpa-OX6tU1qlL7fn/s320/platforms2.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is an image I did 20 years ago that I can now show because the NDA has expired.<br />It shows various mainframe structures.<br /></div><p></p><p>
</p><p><br /></p>
<p><b><span style="color: #0e101a;">Friday, May 6th 2023 • 05/06/23</span></b></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Nori spent the weekend before last stalking
birds with the camera. He did not get the shot he was hoping for. I thought
Nori would be out again on Monday taking photos, but he said he was too tired
and decided to join us at Fandango instead. He then showed me his friend’s
photos taken earlier that morning. The shot was of a white egret and a blue
heron, both spreading their wings for each other. He admitted he was jealous.
He sighed if only he didn’t have children who needed to be taken to school.
Stan showed off his new selfie stick that also works as a tripod. This is the
same one Nori, and I have. I liked Nori’s so much that I bought one. Stan’s is
black with blue highlights, and mine is red with blue highlights. Nori has
three, one with blue highlights, one with red highlights, and one black with
black highlights. He’s also lost an entire unit to the waters of Puget Sound
and mislaid the remote to another. Stan said I should live stream KitKat
Roulette at Freelance Fandango, so I did. It will be up for 30 days. One of the
servers at the Red Elm Café told us that she made stickers and gave us her
latest design. It showed a girl holding a large potted cactus over her crotch.
I think Stan and I both blushed. We promised to give her some of our stickers
in return. Stan also said he would not put it on his bag, which is seen
publicly. I joked about the sticker and asked if he would put it on something “private?”
That earned me a look.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I had a routine colonoscopy this week. With the
limited fasting and purge before the procedure, I was down to 195 lbs. But
consuming nothing but water for two days builds an appetite. This morning I
weighed in at 197.4 lbs. The next time Krista tells me I’m full of it, I can
give her an exact measurement.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">We lost two musical legends this week: Harry
Belafonte and Gordon Lightfoot. Both were staples for Krista and me. And while
we never got a chance to see either in concert, we listen to their songs every
year. It got me thinking, just who was the last Gladiator whose death caused
his fans to murmur and grieve? Hearing of the death of an entertainer who’s
brought you so much enjoyment over the years is like losing a friend. I guess
this was true centuries ago and will remain true centuries from now.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">About a month ago, the weather warmed enough
that I stopped wearing flannel-lined pants. Last week I stopped wearing my long
underwear. As I mentioned before, our house does not have a central heating
system. I’m still wearing a housecoat and throwing a blanket over my legs while
watching television. I just wanted to write this down so I could look back into
my journal and see when we stopped feeling cold.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Alley New</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I have not seen my neighbors Don and Jeri since
they return from a cruise to Jamacia and the Caribbean. They reported that they
had a great time. A couple of days ago, Don saw a couple of men carrying a
large doorway trellis to the curb. He pulled over his truck and asked the men,
“Are you tossing that away?” They confirmed they were. Don told them, “Just
load it in the back.” Don had a doorway trellis that his grandson made ten
years ago for his wedding to Jerri. But it was starting to rot. This one he
picked up from the men looks brand new like it was made from an expensive kit.
So he dismantled the old one and put the new one in its place. The new one is
much lighter. Don and Jerri nearly took each other out, moving the old one into
the alley for deconstruction.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">The starter battery to my lawn mower went bad.
The clerk at the battery store told me the way to keep the battery good was to
charge it every two weeks or at least once a month when I wasn’t using it in
the winter. This would keep the battery from falling so low that it becomes a
danger if recharged. Such are the dangers of a lithium battery. It was a detail
of which I was unaware. The store did not carry the battery, so I ordered it
from the lawnmower manufacturer. It will be at least another week before it arrives.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">My neighbor Pat came over to help me with the
lawn. He mowed about half of it with his mower, which he wouldn’t take off its
lowest setting. So it was slow going for him. It was also slow going for me as
I did the other half of the lawn with the weed whacker. My back was a little
sore afterward. But thanks to all the exercise stretches I do in the morning,
it held up and was fine the next day.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">April 25</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXr-qSo1xi2ZxfAGsw_jTUSk48qBgGimrrid9xm6cO2OwhN-IEHw8CcS7-PxhlVSZ6Vf547cXmD_1E6gdqRdVp7ZTjxfpZ_DLl-rsDEPDQI2XdQgy5XpFHU5y5HPs0ZsOMj5tRDaFVLJxdyoo7ZU-9Y&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> I was learning the art of
metallurgy from a blacksmith. Is silver truly a by-product of smelting gold? Or
was that something I dreamed up? Note: It turns out that silver can be a
byproduct of smelting gold.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">April 26</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUXuksNYyQyptb2avI-ciFxm4gqqKSU27MFrSpBfqtwYpemxSulF2cV2FNBece7CvhdxKBdBfZsw3HxqPi5EpK-p8FwUfDzk8u2Cto1sBAl5WT5eW2nguLtYEX_-pFhTxMI9JWN-0ModSCvz07TYv2k&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> you were legally obligated to do
community service to the religious organization sponsoring the app on your
phone that would immediately read the defending incarceration against a demon
manifestation.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">April 27</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVVUKIgKY7SAvY6cKvk4ye_4t13KnvfGaPHy8I2fvds4s_usbjM44vzEdmIYU68ULZEK5TT6M4pHggEl_DBlJwlUqfRDXK0_9f2sJ0hpgay4S526vcuC-gQIhtP2JEYfZCsruDtQ55iJf9RR4dY1Tr1&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> I was found an apartment where
my share of the rent was $300, but I was sharing with five other people.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">April 28</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWOCt4YbA4S0dXdvPp9TMQ_sX4oGyOnctjjS4kMh43m95tqW9aAhttnuqPsbZxQOmPqTwlDP7kzMFLp4sUg4jdXa0uIqyQ3zdfEBmrGryJbHZ9esTmuqfQ_TecNbd_FxAS1jH6Vbtgji7l4723PB2L3&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> that when our world summoned
back Merlin, he arrived as a monosyllabic teenager filled with angst. This was
hidden from the world via shrewd marketing and carefully edited videos that
were “leaked.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">April 30</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUhEXxR7ZsDzRIMBHRuFWHjjM1dygJZlw1uNjfP822EUnt4Zu60xABvkcTi7VNoT2B6ktquEw9OSggJ_7F17_S9Jm1Ik_gSWnkNnrzih71U1IIohYd60aT3WLcLE83p3hSPHv2XAlMzZyx213_JjDLh&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> my brother and I went into a
store to fill in a job application, but it was only a raffle for a free pie.
The owner rented my brother a shirt.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">May 1</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVZQi-a_9JKpwMBiseziZwnwBAQDd0etLLZBCzG73hm96szusqSreGp1jAzRUlB8NFUhzfRooHUZEy91RjYx8bxiSnIcbrTnXSgx-MF58kPxEvPCShyJgTnu2pfyCypkNAwmt734TLQD30zT1UykZkA&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> I floated out over the edge of a
cliff to over the ocean. After making some loops in the air, I dove into the
water. When I surfaced, it was dark. I could see lights on the shoreline. As I
swam, I found a false shore of a floating island.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">May 2</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWzQGTmoXFWcirYCRU5C9FIZqP3LMeDyNyGFBP7-IFStUpmAju48nFb1OoBYC2hpchDXgitAwPr49r2WhV0B20yJ6VXmdFnFFijEeV3kIb44iqBB1t_uDV6D2IOI0juOza3j7yfwDqvoYQ7Qvrl1sB3&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> I was scrubbing beakers in a
laboratory. There were these stubborn groves on the inside that ate Mr. Clean
erasers. But that was the only thing that got the job done.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">May 3</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZX6kLixSmB8VeAKW7l1uLknTXYynpbOtDuEdQWyWGHn1xJgaWF0QNKZ5AZfSZm09WpCZBrXiQEpEVZttqfMr7gu9s8wNBDndQBBSPoAYN9WX0tdTxUfaZ3ylWQgM_QF4HwXtnp12XCrgZUQcCM00dx2&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> of a strange place that might
have been Limbo. It was an endless meadow with rolling hills. There was a herd
of cattle, the Brooklyn Bridge, a hundred-foot-tall giant Polar Bear, and an
apple tree three times as big as the bridge.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">May 5</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/idreamt?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZV5j1Nd8--W0DwuMP49INJr8G3Ibnyo6SSO_KRZeZyKzhJrHygw5GBYPaI5lPXEcOdV6pfztwIL54SlEhTugVCGoiyVnGqpA_z87s6fRzSRh4gxHwcPliwtJpgWP-uKnBP9pOS9eZ5yApt2vMmCxKkY&__tn__=*NK-R"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">#IDreamt</span></a> I was eating a pizza that had
SPAM and eggs on it, with Christopher Walken.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I woke up with two songs in my head:</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“Echo Valley 2-689” by the Partridge Family</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“O Fortuna” by Carl Orff,</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“The Tra La La Song” The Banana Splits Theme
song.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“Wake Up Little Suzie” by the Everly Brothers</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I listened to a couple of books this week:</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“Everything’s Eventual” by Stephen King</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“Magic Bites” by Liona Andrews</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">“Nest Egg” by Josi Avari</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Movies I watched this week:</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">44. April 24</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Pirahna 3DD (2022) Rating: 4</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">This film does not take itself at all seriously.
Taking a cue from the Piranha remake that decided T&A was low humor with
its exposed backbone caving to “fan” pandering, this movie goes full frontal
crass. It’s not rocket science to make a movie for adolescent boys, nor is
there a reason to set the bar higher when you’re doing it just for shooting
fish-in-barrel laughs. Actors from the original film return to have fun and
cash a paycheck. Also on the payroll for bloody irreverent fun is the Hoff. I
watched this film on HBO Max.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">45. April 25</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">High Sierra (2041) Rating: 7</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">I could have sworn I’d seen this movie before on
television. But I can’t confirm that with licensing dates. But since WB has
been creating its own television shows since 1972, I’m going to assume it has
been aired at some time. This noir is the film that shot Humphrey Bogart to
stardom. I give this film a point for Bogart and another point for the dog that
plays a crucial role in the story. I give the dog another point because it was
actually Bogart’s dog. However, I’m removing a point for the stereotypical
portrayal of a black man. Willie Best was a great comedian and actor, and while
the times he lived in didn’t offer roles outside of stereotypes, he was well-known
for his talent. Perhaps that’s why, even with those limitations, he had a long
career in movies and television. I watched this film on a Netflix DVD.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">46. April 29</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Jung_E (2023) Rating: 5</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Rock ’em, sock ’em, robots, with a
mother-daughter relationship as one of the themes. The Ship of Theseus is
another theme. An extra point for having robots. I watched this film on
Netflix.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">47. April 30</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Snakes on a Plane (2006) Rating: 7</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Why did I wait so long to watch this movie?
Several elements to this film carry well over a decade later. There is a lot
more empathy for the purell-sanitizer-using celebrity now than there was
before. An extra point for having a dog with a name. Loads of stupid fun. I
watched this film on Amazon Prime.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">48. April 30</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Morbius (2022) Rating: 4</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">While I liked the idea of vampire superhero, I
always had a hard time enjoying the comic book because I was constantly
wondering about all of the problem mixing the fake science with the fake
mythology. It’s not to surprising that my reservations carried over onto the
movie. But, historically, vampires in comics have always been all over the map.
The cgi face morphing kept me thinking about another creature feature
“Sleepwalkers.” My wife and I watched this film on Disney+.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">49. May 5th</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">The Land of the Pharaohs (1955) Rating: 6</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Watching this as a kid, I was intrigued by the
secret burial plans of the Pharaoh. That’s what I wanted to see, those security
measures in action. As an adult, I kept thinking, “Boy, he sure employed a lot
of extras. There must be thousands of them.” The actual story functioned but
didn’t have the muscle to make it truly memorable. I think most of the actors
involved were happy to let their brownface performances be forgotten. I kept
thinking, “Joan Collins when your skin is that dark, that shade of lipstick
does not suit you.” And when I saw the ending as an adult, the memories of the
tomb sealing up didn’t match the ones in my head. I think my kid’s imagination
added detail.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">50. May 5</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Rumor has it… (2005) Rating: 5</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Krista and I watched this film on HBO Max. This
is a perfectly decent film. Just a hint of scandal, a scoop of emotional
conflict, a couple of cute quips, and some emotional buttons get pushed. It is
a fine example of an average movie.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">More next week,</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Mark</span></p><p><style>@font-face
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{page:Section1;}</style></p>PooBahSpielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13797113106137843550noreply@blogger.com0