10/25/2015

Weekly Update 10/25/2015

I haven't been in the pool in weeks. I bought new “running” shoes so I could begin a program of walking again; I haven't done that either. But this week, I got out there a couple of times. I went across the highway to the Y to walk on the trail there on Monday and Tuesday. Amazingly, I “forgot” to get out and do that the rest of the week.

There's a new Italian restaurant that opened on Wilmington Island last spring. I've waited for Donna to get back to Savannah before trying it out. Monday, we went with Lisa to try Little Italy. I was really wonderful, but quite expensive and classy, so (since I'm a Crystal Beer Parlor kinda girl), I don't know if I'll be back. I ordered the special, which is prepared table side. A inside of a huge wheel of Parmesan cheese is scraped out and resembles a bowl, and then they add pasta, an olive oil based sauce, and your choice of protein - I opted for veal. It was really tasty! 

 

my dinner

I don't know who these diners are, but this is how my pasta dinner was prepared

Tuesday, I met Dave and Lisa for a performance by John Cleese and Eric Idle at the Civic Center in Savannah. Tickets were costly, so we elected to have the cheap seats, which were pretty much in the next county. Amazingly, I could hear quite well. They are funny! (Why do Americans call it “foot”ball, when the leader gets the ball in his HANDS, he gives it to a runner or passes it to a receiver who catches it with his HANDS, and the ball has to be in the HANDS when it crosses the goal line. That's HANDball!) They sat in easy chairs and chatted about how they met and the beginning of Monty Python and about some of the other comedians in the group. They did a few old sketches (which Dave told me he'd seen before, but they were new to me). There was a screen on the stage and occasionally they had some clips from some of their movies or tv show. Eric Idle sang some of his songs, his most famous is Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. We laughed and laughed. 

Eric Idle and John Cleese on stage

 

I had two lectures on Wednesday at TLC. The first one, about Troupe Square, one of the famous Savannah Squares that is on the east side of the city and has an active neighborhood group, was at the Senior Center. Following that, I had about two hours to kill. I went to the mall and read in Barnes and Nobles until time to go back. Well, since I'm an idiot, I was at the wrong place - I was supposed to be at one of the downtown churches, Church of the Ascension, for a site visit. I had enough time to drive there. However, the first parking meter I pulled to did not record my quarter. Not wanting to risk a ticket, as I had a couple of weeks ago at DH, I moved the car to another parking space. But guess what? That meter wasn't working either! Every other car around that spot had time on their meters, so apparently I'm some sort of expert at finding meters that don’t work. I tried to call the number on the meter to report a malfunction, but the number “no longer exists or has been recently changed”. By this time, I was ten minutes late for the beginning of the tour, and pretty pissed off - as only I can get over simple things - so I went back to my condo and took a nap. And ate.

I did a few special tours this week, both at DH and BC. It's the busiest time of year in Savannah for tourists, and DH books many busloads of visitors, mostly seniors. When there's more than 3 groups going thru the house at the same time, it's confusing. I'm very much a creature of habit, and I say the same things in the same order on every tour I give there. But when I have to start in a different room, or with a different spiel, I get mixed up, and it's never good. Apparently, however, DH thinks I do ok, because they keep asking me to give these special tours. I gave tours there on Thursday and Saturday. At BC, again this week on Friday, I had a group of home-schooled students and their families. This group was easier because the children were not as young as last week. And, I was better prepared. I asked to be given the old 2014 and 2015 calendars that had not been sold by the Historical Society, and I was able to use the pictures there as a kind of “scavenger hunt” in the cemetery to try to keep the kids focused on looking at the statuary. It also helped that only about half of the expected 70 people showed up, and I had another guide to help.

waiting for my BC tour to begin

 

When I arrived back at my condo after a long Friday, with the tours and meeting friends at The 90, I was surprised to find a package at my front door. Anne, one of my neighbors, has recently found a job at the Ray Ellis Gallery in City Market. Ray Ellis was a local artist who worked mostly in water colors, and has created several wonderful works of area scenes. The one Anne chose for me is of Columbia Square, with DH in the background. It is wonderful. I will get it framed, and have it in my personal “gallery”. 

 

Saturday was not what I expected. I had planned to sleep late, join Dave and Lisa at the Isle of Hope art show, then go to the UGA Marine Open House on Skidaway Island that I've enjoyed in other years. But I was wakened about 7:30 am when a POD was deposited in the parking lot, right under my open bedroom window. That's ok, because I was awake anyway. Then, I went to a memorial service for the mother of a friend. The service was at a church and that was followed by graveside visitation at BC. While I was doing that, I'd received a phone message asking if I could possibly come to DH in the afternoon because there were more busloads of tourists coming in, and a guide who had been scheduled wasn't going to be able to make it. So, I did that next. It didn’t take long, but while I was doing that, I had a phone message that the person responsible for closing BC that he had forgotten his keys, and he asked if I'd be able to close up. Of course. Why not. So I drove there, only to find it was all locked up and I wasn't needed anyway. I just went home, had something to eat, and took a nap. Then (and this was on my original plan for the day), I went back downtown to attend two performances - Owens-Thomas House, another historic house museum, was presenting an after-hours walk through and talk about mourning rituals in regency America, while DH was giving their presentation of “Stranger Than Fiction”, a glimpse at what would be frightening for Savannahians in the 1820's. I saved a whopping big $2 by going to both events in the same evening. I liked them both, although they were very different. And it's amazing to see how different DH looks when it's lit by candlelight - with the exception of only a very few times, I’ve only seen if during the day time. 

the moon rising over the ktichen building at the Owens-Thomas House at dusk

an interesting view of the dining room at DH from the outside. No photos were allowed during the tour, but I don't usually get to see this angle, so I thought it was cool

 

I had to go to the Condo Clubhouse to watch the Bills game Sunday morning because it wasn't on tv; a new experiment to see how many people would watch a live streamed game from a foreign market. I was not going to be taken in, and to protest, I wasn't going to watch. I guess I compromised, because I did not load the Yahoo Sports app, I simply watched it on the iPad. I should have know better. How bad can both these teams be? The Bills gave the Jags 20 points from costly turnovers, and never recovered. And the Jags very nearly let that gift get away from them! But the Bills (gotta love 'em) made one final disastrous penalty with pass interference that set up the game-winning TD. IDIOTS! It may be interesting next week when the Lions play the Chiefs from London, another game that no one cares about or wants to watch (except maybe my family in KC and Ishy). That, of course, will be on tv. 

watching the game on my iPad with my Mind The Gap coffee mug that I'd bought when I visited London

 

10/18/2015

Weekly Update 10/18/2015

It didn't start off well. On Monday, when I was buying wine at the Walmart, I forgot to get out my license, and the checkout lady eyed me suspiciously (really???). She looked to be about my age, so when she saw my ID, I was surprised when she told me that she thought I looked about the same age as her mom, and she after she saw my dob, she was right! Shit! 

 

A couple of lectures this week: one on archeology at the Coastal Heritage Society which was quite dull. After you've seen a slide of a musket ball that was uncovered during a dig, you don't need to see slides of 100 other musket balls. For the churches of Savannah series, we didn't do a site visit this week, but instead had a talk about John and Charles Wesley, who were in Savannah shortly after the colony was formed in 1733. That was interesting. 

 

Thursday evening was the gala opening of the exhibit of Monet paintings at the Jepson. The event was preceded by a lecture. So many people in Savannah wanted to attend the talk that it was held nearby at the Trinity Church, which holds more people than the auditorium at the Jepson. They also had two seatings for the lecture. Donna, Kay, Lisa and I all had tickets to the early lecture. Then we went to the reception. Leopold's Ice Cream has created two new flavors in honor of Monet - My Cheré Amour and La Vie in Rose. I can tell you they are good! We also sampled many other wonderful treats. And, of course (isn't that what we were here for?) we saw the paintings. There are actually only four that Monet himself created and the others were by American artists who were influenced by the great artist when they studied in Giverny. It was really too crowded to see the wonderful pictures well, so I'll have to go back when I can spend more time.

the lecture in the church

one of the Monet paintings

Friday was a busy day. I got up early because I was giving a tour at BC in the morning. I had been told it was for home-schooled children. I was thinking, maybe junior high school age. But no, it was elementary school, and even some younger siblings. Try making a cemetery interesting for a group of about twenty 3 - 9 year-olds! It was the fastest tour I'd ever given, though, as I skipped a lot of what I usually talk about. Then I went to give my normal afternoon tours at DH - didn't lock anyone in any rooms this week. And then to The 90. I didn't stay there long because I'd been away from my condo for a long stretch, and I was anxious to get back to my chair. But when I got home, I realized that I wanted to see the SCT play that is only going to be performed this weekend, so I went back out. The play was The Servant of Two Masters, but Carlo Goldoni. Written in 1746 in Italy, it is farce in the style of Moliere. While I enjoyed it, I think it may have been a little ambitious for a Children's Theater, as a certain sophitication of actors and audience is required to make an 17th or 18th century farce appreciated. But, as always, I loved the SCT and thought they did a wonderful job.

Florindo, the servant with two masters

Saturday morning, I met Kay, Lisa and Connie for the St Vincent's House Tour. This is my favorite tour of homes of all the ones they do in Savannah, and I've been to it before. It's a fund raiser for St Vincent's School, so I feel it's a good cause, too. St Vincent's school is located next to the beautiful Cathedral, and there are still Sisters who live there. I always enjoy being at the school, because it brings back the memories of traveling to Dublin and seeing the house where Mother Catherine McAuley started her school in 1831 and the Sisters of Mercy began. And they always have a tea in the garden of the convent. I made it to two lovely homes and the tea before I started to feel unwell, and had to leave. I would have really loved to see more - next year. 

a house on Jones Street, one of the ones on the tour

my lovely group of good friends

 

In another embarrassing event this weekend, I got lost in BC! How can that happen? There was a dedication of the Walz monument on Sunday afternoon, and I wanted to be there. I give tours at the cemetery, I talk about John Walz all the time, I consider myself somewhat of an expert. But I couldn't find the Walz plot. I got there, but I was late. I don't know if I'm going to be stripped of my Tour Guide title or not, but most of the members of the BHS there for the dedication thought it was kinda funny that I got lost. It was a wonderful, sunny afternoon. John Walz, for the all the beauty he has created for BC, deserves to have a beautiful stone for his resting place. It's long overdue, but it's there now. 

at the dedication ceremony, when i finally found it

there are sculptors' tools carved into the top, and the stone is half finished, as if he might come back to complete it

 

Being at BC on early Sunday afternoon kept me from having to watch the Bengals beat up on my Bills, but I did get to Coach's for the second half. It was a good thing that I couldn't watch it all. As a child, I was taught that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. So, I'm not going to say anything about any of the NFL games this week. It's looking as if the Bills will extend their record of the most number of seasons since a playoff appearance, and the Lions will again maintain their record of never going to a Super Bowl. I think I'm going to start to become more interested in college ball, though, as there were some very good games on Saturday. Go, Dawgs!

I did, however, really enjoy watching the game that was played in Buffalo and the snowflakes that were in the air. People in Savannah are complaining about the cold, too. I think it only got as high as 70° today.

10/11/2015

Weekly Update 10/11/2015

Whenever I'm in the Walmart, I always check the $5 bin for DVDs. A few months ago, for $5, I found a combo pack - Rain Man, Moonstruck, When Harry Met Sally and Princess Bride. I'm cheap and I watch a lot of DVDs, so this seemed like a good fit. I'd seen all the movies except for Princess Bride, but when I watched this one, I was smitten. I laughed out loud, I thought it was great, I watched it again. In the library, I noticed this book, so I had to check it out. The book wasn't that good, but I always seem to want to know MORE about anything that I'm interested in. I think this movie will be up there with Napoleon Dynamite, Finding Nemo, and Breaking Away as one of my all time favorites. 

the movie

the book

 

You know how it is when you see someone who looks familiar, but they're not in the place you think they should be, or not dressed the way you're used to seeing them dressed? That happened to me a couple of times this week. At the Picnic In The Park last Sunday, I saw the bartender from The 90, Brittany. I'm so used to seeing her with a shaker in her hand, that she looked totally different with a cute little boy about 18 months old with incredible blond, curly hair! He was just darling! Another friend from the bar that I ran into this week was Joe. He's one of regulars and The 90, and I've spoken to him a couple of times. When I picked Pat up at her patio home in an assisted living facility on Wilmington Island (note to self - check it out) to give her a ride to book club, Joe was outside another one of the homes, working in his garden. I waved to him, but we didn't have a chance to visit. Also, when I took my VW in for more repairs - it's a long story - on Monday, I was surprised when I walked in to see the man who used to be the desk manager in the service center at the auto dealership where I had a lot of repairs done when I first moved to Savannah, not knowing where else to go. He remembered me, too, and we chatted for a few minutes. The dealership had been sold to another group of owners, and he had tired of the big box kind of maintenance they were supposed to do. So when this position as a smaller, independent repair shop opened up, he took it. I guess I've been in Savannah long enough now so that I run into people I know everywhere. 

 

A much-needed update was done this week at the entrance to MP on Johnny Mercer Blvd. Even before the library opened across the street last October, there were problems at the entrance to the condos where the street crosses Johnny Mercer Blvd to go over to Rte 80. Because it's “just” the entrance to the development, drivers “assume” the traffic there is inconsequential and often do not bother with turn direction signals (not all drivers - most really do indicate their intentions; it's the ones who have a hard time exerting the effort it takes to push down or up on the lever that's right beside their hand that cause the problems) so other drivers “assume” they are not turning, and pull into their path. When the library was thrown into the mix, it became even worse because the traffic flow for readers exiting the library causes them to make a u turn at the light if they were going back to Wilmington Island. There's never been a major accident there, but numerous fender benders. So, FINALLY, the DOT replaced the light with one that has turn arrows on the lights along Johnny Mercer. I hope this helps.

installing the signal light

 

Wednesday was another site visit to a House of Worship in Savannah. This time it was Temple Mickve. But before that, I did a “special” tour at DH. A group of about 20 SCAD students came through with their professor to look at quality craftsmanship of the early 19th century. I filled them in on history and the Davenports. In addition to my regular tour, I needed to take them to the attic area, which is off limits most of the time. Imagine my horror when I closed and locked the door to the attic room not realizing that a student was still there. We could hear someone knocking, but assumed it was a tourist trying to get through the locked front door rather than the gift shop entrance. We figured it out, and I was able to free him, but I felt really awful to have done that. He handled it quite well and thought it was rather funny, but I was horrified. I'm going to learn from that mistake! Because I had a little over an hour to waste before I would need to be at the temple, I had packed the new “running” shoes (a misnomer for sure, as I don't even walk fast, let alone run anyplace) that I'd bought when I was out near the mall on Monday with the VW repairs - it's a long story - and walked around Forsyth Park. Then to the temple for the tour. The oldest practicing reformed congregation in the United States, Temple Mickve Israel was founded by a group of Jews, mainly of Portuguese descent, which landed in Savannah only four months after the founding of the Colony in 1733. This building was built in 1878, and is in the Gothic style. One story for the unusual style is that the architect was a Christian and did not know how to create a temple. Another is that the Jews in Savannah did not want to remain apart from the rest of society, and wanted a building that “fit in” with the other structures in the city. The Rabbi and the guide spoke so softly (which is appropriate in a sacred place) that I couldn't hear them, so much of what was said was lost on me. And I'd been to the museum before, so I didn't need to do that again in a crowd; I left a little early. That gave me time for a nap before going to play my regularly scheduled Rummikub game.

Congregation Mickve Iarael

 

I must have some sort of a brain fart regarding DH this week. The attic-locking fiasco was one. Friday, for my normal tours, I thought I was wearing black slacks, so I believed I matched my gray shirt and my black flip flops. But when I was driving downtown and looked at myself in the bright sunlight, I realized I had on navy blue pants, and didn't match at all. It was too late then to turn around and change, so I decided that if anyone complained, I would simply tell them that I'm a volunteer, I'm not compensated, and they get what they pay for. No one said anything. Plus, I did an extra tour in the evening with the Tauck group that brings many bus loads to Savannah in the fall. I had only time for one glass of wine at The 90 before I had to go back and stand in a mis-matched clothing in front of more out-of-town visitors. 

 

There's a bakery in Savannah that is very popular, and there's even been a book of the recipes published, but I've never been there. Since I had to make a trip to that part of the city to pick up a book at the main library, I decided I'd try Back in the Day Bakery to see what the fuss is about. Now I know! I had the most wonderful sandwich - pimento cheese spread with tomato and bacon on warm ciabatta bread. That sandwich was so good, the chocolate chip cookie I bought for dessert didn't seem like anything.

Dave and Lisa are back in Savannah, so guess where I was Thursday evening? The Rail. I haven't been there at all since they went to UK last spring, so it was nice to be back. As a bonus, Kay also joined us there. I'm going to be spending too much money in bars now as my habits are going to include The Rail, The 90 and Coach's. I should create a Go Fund Me account to support my drinking. 

 

October 9 is a very important day in Savannah history. During the Revolutionary War, the British held Savannah, and in 1779 American Patriots made a failed attempt to recapture the city. The battle lasted only one hour, but over 800 Americans and allies were killed or wounded. Every year, early in the morning, at the same time that the battle took place, The Coastal Heritage Society marches along the path of the patriots while telling the story of the battle. I've gone before, and I always enjoy it. This year, Lisa went too. And, I was asked by the Bonaventure Historical Society to present the wreath in memorial. Many groups and individuals pay tribute to those who fought here by presenting a wreath, and BC is one of those groups. Bonaventure Plantation played a part in the Siege as the French forces that supported the American cause were stationed there before the battle. Each year, the Society places a wreath, and this year I was asked to have the honor of representing the group.

www.wtoc.com/story/30230398/revolutionary-war-reenactment-held-in-savannah 

the ceremony

the lovely BC rep (if I elongte the photo, I don't look so fat!  I like it!)

 

On Saturday, I wanted to go to the folk Music Fest that was held in Ellis Square in the evening, but I was exhausted from cleaning the condo. I also used up a lot of energy when I walked across the street to the library to pick up a video that was being held for me. So far, the new shoes seem to be working out well. But I was just too worn out to get out of my chair and go downtown in the evening. I did need to get out on Sunday, because it was tour day at BC. The weather was a little overcast, and cool, but perfect for walking outside. The cemetery was crowded, and they even added an additional tour. I had a large group. It kept my mind off the fact that the Bills were trailing the Titans throughout the game. Just as I was ending up, the Bills took the lead. As I drove home, I did something I know better than to do - I kept looking at the score on the phone. Other games did not turn out so well.

10/4/02015

Weekly Update 10/4/2015

My coffee pot broke this week. A tragedy, really, as I NEED my coffee when I first crawl out of bed. In a stunning turn of events, I put some dishes in the dishwasher (I like to run it occasionally to be sure it still works) and when I took the coffee pot out, there was a hole in the bottom and a small piece of glass near the drain in the dishwasher. So that required a trip to the Walmart. I was undecided about whether to replace just the pot, or buy a whole new coffee maker. Mr Coffee costs only $17 new. A Keurig is expensive, but there was a small off-brand unit that would have worked which was quite a bit less expensive. But when it came right down to it, I just bought a new replacement pot. That's one less perfectly good coffee maker in the landfill.

TLC lecture this week was on the Jews in Savannah, and a little history of Jews in Europe, where they came from. The rabbi at Temple Mickve gave the talk, and he was very informative, and humorous. Next week we will visit the temple, and although I've been to the site a few times, I'm looking for ward to that.

Thursday, I attended a talk given Georgia Historian Stan Deaton in association with the Georgia History Festival. The title was The Birth of the American Dream: How the Real Mad Men Changed the World. I'm rather used to viewing Georgia history from the colonial times, but this focused on the era from the end of WWII to about 1965, when advertisers were influencing Americans to determine their self-worth by what they owned. He pointed out such men as Alfred P Sloan (CEO of GM who promoted the idea of planned obsolescence - that new design in automobiles would create a longing for a new car every few years), Harley Earl (a designer at GM, who thought that what a car LOOKED like was more important than just being a mode of transportation), William Levitt (real estate developer who gave us Levittowns, communities of cookie-cutter affordable homes in the suburbs), the McDonald brothers (we all know what McDonald's is), Rosser Reeves (the model for Don Draper, Reeves remodeled advertising with his USP - Unique Selling Proposition - 30 and 60 soundbites that would sell products with a catchy slogan, not on the merits of the products) . And continuing to the present time, Dr Deaton mentioned that facebook makes each of us our own PR firm - we advertise ourselves in a way to “sell” our best images in quick, frequent “posts”. Interesting.

I met with a few of my friends here at MP at the clubhouse for wine, crackers, and talk one evening this week. Donna Waite was entertaining a friend from California, so a few of got together to meet her and visit. It's nice to do that. 
 

Friday was DH, but since Donna was in Florida for a wedding, I didn't go to The 90; I just went back home after my tours. Lisa and Dave were coming back from UK, but got stuck in NYC because their flight out of JFK was canceled due to bad weather all along the coast. We had planned to meet for coffee Saturday morning, but that didn't work out as they were still in Atlanta. Then we thought we might get together at The Rail or on River Street, but it was raining for most of the day. I didn't get to see them until they walked into Coach's on Sunday afternoon. All the games sucked - every one of them. It was so depressing. Sunday evening was the annual Picnic in the Park that I have enjoyed in other years. I met Kay and her son, Adam, and Anne and Andrew Nedd there. We had some wine and snacks, and listened to the wonderful Savannah Philharmonic orchestra. If it hadn't started to sprinkle, it would have been a wonderful evening. 

 

It has been raining a lot here, but nothing like is hitting Charleston and the rest of SC. We've had a lot of rain, and the ground is saturated. On top of that, the tides are very high because of the full moon and the autumn solstice. Route 80 out to Tybee Island was closed a few times because water was over the road. President Street, my main route into the city, had a lane closed on Thursday because of flooding. I heard that a few other streets were closed, too.