dual personalities

Month: August, 2024

“The temperature’s rising, it isn’t surprising.”

by chuckofish

Well good Friday morning, readers. Today, was a bit of a day. Big quarterly earnings announcement in the morning followed by the all employee meeting run by me via Zoom in the afternoon. Both are rife with opportunities for embarrassment but thankfully all went smoothly. Every three months when we have this stressful, pressure-filled day, I am amazed that I used to endure this (plus some) daily when I worked at Nightline. Good grief. Four times a year is plenty, thank you. Five if you include the employee holiday luncheon. Now, I just need to get through my DAR Exec Board meeting this evening and then it’s second glass of wine time, baby!

Anyway, my mother, Mr. Smith and I are off to visit the Prairie Girls for the night tomorrow. Someone forgot the Pack-N-Play at Mamu’s after their last visit so we are bringing it back and staying for Gabfest ’24. Mr. Smith is coming because the Kennel was totally booked when I called. He’ll be crossing state lines for the first time!

The yard is a work in progress, don’t judge me. This week, Mr. Smith was introduced to the joy that is the tennis ball. Yes, he is a bonafide lover of fetch. And running around the backyard. It has been too hot for walks this week (Heat indexes in the triple digits, people. Also, do yourself a favor and click that link) so he’s been given short periods to run around and then come in and cool off.

I was high on life this past weekend because a couple of weeks ago I scored a lovely little loveseat on Facebook marketplace with FREE DELIVERY. I had hoped to donate my old gigantic grey sectional but the place I had in mind doesn’t accept sectionals. So, I decided to list my couch for a very low price on Marketplace and have someone buy it and pick it up. It was out of my house in two hours! And purchased over asking by a young Kirkwood High School student who operates a small-business reselling couches. I was so pleased to see the entrepreneurial spirit alive and well. And also to be rid of the couch.

Anyway, despite what the media tells us, life is good. Most people are nice. And it’s the weekend.

“What ho, Tashtego!”

by chuckofish

Today is the first day of August! Where did July go? It is Herman Melville’s birthday once again! Hard to believe that our 200th birthday party for Herman Melville was five years ago! It was our best party ever.

Well, let this be a reminder that every day is a good day to read Moby-Dick.

“Heaven have mercy on us all — Presbyterians and Pagans alike — for we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending.”

And here’s another movie recommendation: Naughty Marietta (1935)–nearly 90 years old and still fresh and entertaining. Based on the 1910 Victor Herbert operetta, it was the surprise hit of 1935. Its key song, “Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life”, became a hit and earned Nelson Eddy his first gold record. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, received the Photoplay Gold Medal Award as Best Picture, and was voted one of the Ten Best Pictures of 1935 by the New York film critics.

The Jeanette MacDonald–Nelson Eddy duo went on to make seven more films together, all of which are worth watching. The music is wonderful, but the stars themselves, in all their black-and-white glory, are appealing and natural. You would never know this movie is almost an antique!

Meanwhile the boy and his family are having super fun at the beach…

…and the prairie girls are trying on hand-me-down Halloween costumes from their cousins…

Sunrise/sunset…what ho, Tashtego!