11/28/2021

 

Weekly Update 11/28/2021

Thanksgiving here sucked. I was all ready to go to Jan and Greg’s house to meet with friends for a wonderful feast. It was scheduled for 6 pm. I was watching the early NFL games, when I lost all my wifi connections. Both my tvs, my iPad, my iPhone, and my laptop. I couldn’t find my information listed and wasn’t able to sign back in. What a disaster! I couldn’t check the scores, I couldn’t look for new photos to be posted to Adrian’s gallery, I couldn’t do anything. With two hours to go before I had to be at the dinner, I called Netgear. I was informed that my network had been hackd. I didn’t even know a network could be hacked, but here I was. They were on the phone with me for over two hours, and finally got it fixed. I had to install a firewall and that cost big bucks. I eventually got everything back. I never made it to dinner, but I did watch the Bills game. I made a Lean Cuisine micro pizza for Thanksgiving diner. I was in a snit.

But, I got over it. Eventually.

Last week, I reported that I had trouble with a tire on my car. I made an appointment to have it checked, but not until Tuesday. So Monday I did nothing. Monday is normally a housework day for me, so I got all that done, but I didn’t go out to run errands. Tuesday, I went to the Goodyear service station. In a stunning turn of events, they were not able to plug the hole the nail had made in the tire, and I needed a new tire. Also, my auto insurance was due, so I had to pay that. The car cost me a lot of money this week.

Wednesday, I drove Kay to the Georgia Eye Institute. It’s difficult for her to drive after they look at her eyes, so I try to help out when I can. Because it was the day before the holiday, DH closed at noon, and I didn’t have to give tours, so it was no trouble for me to be with Kay. After I dropped her off at her house after her appointment, I went to the bank and made a large withdrawal, for Christmas gifts.

Between the car, Christmas and the Netgear payment, my budget is all shot to hell.

Kay had a few things she wanted to shop for on the weekend, and I was not really up to going on Black Friday. We went to Hobby Lobby and Home Goods on Saturday, and then out for breakfast. I didn’t find anything, but I do like looking at all the items for the holidays. We had really good Blood Marys for breakfast, and that picked up my spirits.

Because the Bills played on Thursday, I didn’t have to go out to watch them on Sunday. None of the other games were worth sitting in a bar to watch, so I dragged out the Nutcrackers, and all my other Christmas decorations. It took me all day to get everything set up. I’m not much in a holiday mood, but it looks festive inside the apartment.  I also took all the videos out of the drawer and have them ready to go as soon as December gets here.

Adrian experienced his first snow this week. Sarah posted a photo of him bundled up in his snowsuit, surrounded by the white stuff. He did not look happy.

11/21.2021

 

Weekly Update 11/21/2021

Eating out with Kay, that was this week. Because we didn’t get together last weekend, we went out Monday night. We chose an Italian restaurant in Pooler. It was really good. Saturday, we went to the movies. I haven’t been to the movies since before the pandemic started! And now I remember why. I’m so used to watching my tv with closed captioning turned on, I’ve forgotten how to watch without reading along. We went to see Spencer, so that made it difficult for me to follow, too, as the accents are hard. After the matinee, we went to a nearby Indian restaurant. I don’t do Indian food a lot, and this was a great treat.

When I was at City Hall this week, I leisurely wandered back to my car after I’d finished reading as many old magazines as I could stand. I went to Ellis Square, where I was surprised to see police tape around the Johnny Mercer statue; I don’t know why that was there. (When I went by again on Saturday, the barricade and tape was removed). Then, I was curious to see if Bitty and Beau’s coffee shop had survived through the past couple of years. There were fine, and I got a pumpkin spice latte. I walked along the west side, down Montgomery Street, looking for remnants of Liberty and Elbert Squares. As I got closer to Crystal Beer Parlor, I remembered that there is a sandwich shop nearby that was supposed to be good. It is! I got a Reuben sandwich to go that was very good. Also expensive.

The new glasses I’d ordered were delivered on Wednesday. They don’t look very different than the ones I’m already wearing, but they are a little bit stronger. Because they are single vision lenses, with no tinting (I did pay for scratch protection), I got the two pair for $50, including the shipping. I love a bargain.

At DH this week. They had already set up for the holiday interpretation. That’s not a big deal because Christmas was not celebrated in the 1820s, so there’s little to talk about. I do have to tell a bit about the New Years, or end of year, traditions that most Savannahians joined in – feasting, entertaining, etc. But I’ve done this for enough years that I can fall right into it without thinking too much.

I had planned to go to the Georgia Historical Society research room in the Hodgson Hall after meeting in Green Square on Thursday. But as I got there, I saw it was closed. They were closed for almost two years to add to the building, but I thought they had reopened. Apparently not. My investigation into the lives of the Seven Ladies of the HFS will have to continue at another time.

Saturday was not the day I had planned. I had a lot to do. As I went to get out of the garage, there was a moving van parked across my entrance, and I was blocked in. Luckily, the driver came out to unload something else and moved the truck so I could get out. Then, as I was driving into town, the “check tire pressure” light appeared on my dashboard. I had just done that a few weeks ago, but it had been another cold night, so I thought maybe it needed a booster. I stopped at a garage along route 21, and he filled the tires, but also told me that I had a nail in one of the back tires. Great! But the light was off, and I thought I could continue with my errands.

I began downtown, parking by Forsyth Park and walking to River Street, and then taking the water taxi to the Convention Center for Christmas Made in the South. That is a huge craft market that I have not been to in many years. It bothers me to have to pay to get into an exhibit whose sole purpose to to sell me stuff. But I’ve been wanting to get holiday night lights for my bathrooms, and I hoped I could find some here. No luck. I did, however, see a Nutcracker box that I could not resist. It’s a small box, about four inches square. When you take to top off, it unfolds to reveal scenes from the ballet – Clara, the Nutcracker, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and 3D pictures like that. There were a lot of other boxes with other themes, but of course, I needed the Nutcracker. There was a lot of really nice stuff at this craft show, but I don’t need any more STUFF, so I was able to get by with just the box.

I had to hurry when I left because I had planned to pick up Kay for the movies at 2:30. There were so many people at the craft show, I had to wait in line for an hour to get the water taxi back to Savannah, and then walk to my car. Not only that, but the new Cosco opened in Pooler this weekend, and I expected the traffic to be bad. I wasn’t too late, but I did have to rush a bit.

I had a ticket to go to the Tybee Post Theater in the evening for an Elvis impersonator show. It was originally scheduled for last spring, but had been postponed two more times, and tonight was the night. I would not have been comfortable driving all the way to Tybee, on a tire I didn’t trust, in the dark. So I skipped that. I would have liked to see that show.

I called to get an appointment to have the tire patched / replaced first thing Sunday morning, and the earliest they can get me in it Tuesday. I had thought about going to the R Bar in Bluffton to watch the Bills game, but, again, I wasn’t comfortable driving that far, on fast moving highways, with a faulty tire. I stayed home. And looking back, I’m glad I didn’t waste my time. The Bills are such a disappointment, when I’d begun the season with high hopes. What happened?

Adrian is learning at an amazing rate. He is eating food. He is sitting up. He is going to library book club. He is going to swimming lessons. He is using his hands. He is talking and making happy noises. And he’s working on the computer! I got a video today of him at the keyboard. I want to ask him how to organize my photos. Or get my tv to stream a sporting event without constant buffering.

11/14/2021

 

Weekly Update 11/14/2021

This week started slowly, but I was quite busy by the end of the week.

I was able to read a lot of my library book on the first several days. It was The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, who also wrote A Gentleman in Moscow, which I read a while ago and also enjoyed. This newest book by the author was a very good read. It was beautifully written, and (although I miss quotation marks when people are speaking) a joy to read. I cared very much about each of the characters. It was almost a series of related short stories as well as a long novel. I would recommend this book.

I met Denise for lunch at the St John’s Holiday Bazaar at the Green-Meldrim House on Thursday. Because the Veteran's Day parade was at the same time as the bazaar, Jane and Helen opted not to join us and avoided the crowded downtown area. This is one of my favorite holiday events, and I wanted to go. I didn’t think there was going to be a “white elephant” sale, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was reinstated. I bought a cute Easter bunny (and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet!) and Denise found a small china tray that would be perfect in her home. In addition, there was a silent auction that was interesting to look at, but I didn’t bid on anything. We sat outside on the porch of the historic home, with a white linen table cloth and fresh flowers on the table, and enjoyed a lovely luncheon.

The Pioneers of Preservation, a group of museums including DH, Ships of the Seas, and Andrew Low, held their Fall Lecture series for three evenings. On Thursday, in the outdoor area of Ships of the Seas, Queen Quet delivered a thought-provoking, entertaining Gullah / Geechee histor-musical. In the darkened garden area, she sang in the Gullah language about the trans-Atlantic voyage of the ancestors of many African Americans. I didn’t understand a thing she said.

On Friday night, I went to the historic Second African Baptist Church for a lecture by Dr. Sownadèn Mustakeem, author of Slavery at Sea: Terror, Sex, and Sickness in the Middle Passage. Not a very uplifting story, to be sure, but one that has been nearly forgotten and needs to be told. My objection is, however, that the old white people in the audience are probably not the ones who have forgotten, nor are they the ones who need to be told about this chapter of American history. The people who do need to hear it have neither the time nor the resources to attend lectures.

On Saturday I found myself in the garden at the Andrew Low house for a talk about African food in antebellum America, and also a very nice sampling of the food. Presenting the talks were Vaughnette Goode-Walker and Sallie Ann Robinson. Ms. Goode-Walker told about Mosianna Milledge, a free person of color and cook for the Low family. Ms Robinson grew up on Daufuskie Island and was raised with the African American cooking tradition. We were all treated to molasses cornbread, chicken, collard greens and peach cobbler.

Before I joined the lecture on Saturday, I first went to the Tanger Outlets to see a car show. There were a lot of cars, but they were not all antiques, or even old. There were many Mustangs, for example, but none of the 1965s or 1966s of my youth. It was still great to wander among the cars, some which brought back memories, and other that I had only seen in pictures or at other car shows, and were older than I am.

And then I had only a few minutes to listen to the Philharmonic in Chippewa Square before walking to the Andrew Low. I wish I could have listened longer. It was the brass quintet, and what I was able to listen to, I enjoyed very much.

Sunday, BHS was short of tour guides and asked if I could fill in. I was torn – the Bills last week was such a disappointment, I wasn’t sure I wanted to watch another loss to a horrible team. And I was pretty sure they would be able to defeat the Jets. So I drove all the way across town to the cemetery. Then, there were not a lot of people who were willing to wander around the cemetery, so only one guide was needed. I left and went to Coach’s Corner. I had not been there since before the pandemic began. And I was glad to be back. It was not as crowded as I remember it to be, and I had a table all to myself where I could see the games I wanted to watch. The wings were the best! World of Beers wings are horrible, and I will never have those again. It may be worth the drive back to the east side just for the wings.

Adrian is beyond wonderful. He seems to be a happy baby and most of the pictures I see show him smiling. He has also just begun to have solid food. There were some cute videos of him trying cereal for the first time, and also carrots. He didn’t seem very interested, and Sarah wrote that he prefers milk to the new foods he’s being given. Wait til he tastes chocolate!

11/7/2021

 

Weekly Update 11/7/2021

TLC hosted a cabaret-like musical concert on Monday evening. A singer and piano player entertained us with songs by Johnny Mercer. It was Skidaway Island, so it took me more than two hours to drive there and back, all for a 45 minute concert that wasn’t very good. I have been “attending” the lectures from TLC online, so I was glad to be able t go to this on in person. I saw friends I haven’t seen for quite a while there, so that was nice.

I am always amazed that the stores go right from selling candy, costumes, and dog get ups for Halloween to trees, presents and cards (I’m not doing that this year – the Post Office isn’t getting one dime more from me!) for Christmas without a thought to the holiday in between. You know the one – the one where we’re supposed to thankful. All the stores I went to are full of all things Christmas, and I had trouble finding a Thanksgiving door mat for my front door, and other things to decorate my apartment. I finally found a mat, and I made a pillow for my porch as well as a couple of turkeys to pin to the pillows on my bed. I guess this is as festive as I’m going to be able to get.

Thursday was a hurry-up-and-wait day, because none of the things I needed to do were close to Pooler. I met Jane and Helen in Green Square at 10 for the usual visit. Then I went to Daffin Park, and I walked one time around the park. I dragged my folding chair out of the trunk of my car again and sat to read my book and eat the PB&J sandwich I had made in the park. I had an eye doctor appointment at 2. Last year when I had my check up, I sat in the reception area for over 3 hours before I was even called into the exam room. This year, I was all finished in less than an hour. My eyes have become a bit worse with the distance vision, but the macular degeneration and cataracts are holding steady. I still had lot of time before I needed to attend the BHS annual meeting / dinner, which was not far from the Georgia Eye Institute. So I went to the mall. Man, I hate doing that, but I walked around, looked at toys and clothes that I fantasized for Adrian, got something to drink while I read more at the food court, and just wasted time. Finally, it was time to leave there and go to the meeting. I saw more people that I haven’t had a chance to talk with in a long time. I was very conscious of not having even one beer or glass of wine because my eyes were still dilated, and I was anxious about driving all the way home again with headlights coming at me. I got back home safely after being away for almost 12 hours. It rarely happens that I’m out for that length of time, but I had much to do, far from home all day. I was exhausted.

Friday I met friends at The Flying Fish restaurant to celebrate some birthdays with the Wednesday Happy Hour group. And on Saturday, I met Denise for breakfast. Denise gets her hair cut in Pooler, and she will often ask if we can get together when she’s out this way. Neither of those things took me all day to accomplish.

The Rock and Roll marathon in Savannah was scheduled for Saturday. But It was canceled because of bad weather. It was raining, and the wind was blowing, and it was only in the 40s, which is cold for Savannah. Only the full marathon was canceled, and the half went on as scheduled. It is did not affect me at all, as the only difference this event makes to me to be sure that I don’t go downtown that day. As I was driving through the city on Friday, I noticed all the port-a-potties set up in Emmett Park, in preparation for the run.  

When I got up Sunday, the first thing I had to do was set the clocks. It’s going to take a few days before I can figure out what time it is. But, I’ll get it eventually. The Bills? I dunno. They seemed to be in a fog for today’s game. The penalties – 12, and most of those were just stupid. Three turnovers. And no TDs. Field goals do not win games, touchdowns do. The Offense and the Defense sucked. New England - the hated NEW ENGLAND – is ready to take the lead in the AFC East. Please don’t let that happen.