Side Effects

I was a few days away from my eight months since my last Covid vaccine. But me, being the fragile flower that I am - and I am ! - I got my booster shot a few days early. 

I have made no secret here about my anxiety to Covid, along with the idea of having to die alone with no one (read: 710) being able to see me or say goodbye. 

Though honestly, if it comes down to ICU and intubation, just make me DNR and let me go. The reality of coming back from that isn't all that high. 

I felt a bit guilty about getting the shot early - or at all. However, it's not like people who haven't gotten vaccinated at all are clamouring to get their first or second shot. And it's not like toilet paper in April 2020 - there's plenty to go around........because not enough of the country is vaccinated.

You've all read here that we still don't go out and socialize, though we had a couple over last week. Still - no movie, restaurants, we haven't been shopping for things we need for the house, so that furniture we needed 16 months ago, we still need. And when we do go - have masks will travel. 

Getting to the vaccination site was just horrible. Traffic in the 216 was worse than I had ever seen. A 20 minute ride took me almost 90. I was late by 17 minutes - and I pride myself for usually being on time. 

To add to it all, half-way there, I realized it wasn't at the location at which I assumed. I hit the hyperlinked address and let Apple Maps take over. Silly me. Silly silly me. 

I had not noticed on the link it had the address and street. No town. No state. No zip.  Only when I noticed me going into another town, which was past my destination did I go......."huh".  Je looked at my phone and it said I'd reach my destination in 16 HOURS and 2 minutes.  The 2 minute thing didn't bother me nearly as much as going to a different state.  No way was I going to make my appointment time - as I hadn't left over a half day early. 

So, some rerouting and yes, 17 minutes late. 

The problem working in healthcare and leadership is: people know you. So the site I went to had people to whom I had spoken, emailed or presented to via a webinar. They knew me, though I didn't really know them. That is bothersome to me. Perhaps I should be flattered, but I suspect they know me for a reason - which usually isn't good. 

Anyhoo. The shot. Like the other two were quick and easy. It took way longer to put my shirt back on. 

The good news?  Save a sore arm, no side effects !!!!

My first Moderna dose was like the third. The second had me sick with fever et al. By most accounts, most booster people have that reaction #2 with the third. 

I waited for it. And waited. If the '12 hours after' rule applied, I'd just be waking up from my night time sleep for those effects to show up - yet they never did.  As Spo might say, I was pleased as punch with that. Yet it was a restless night because I kept waking up to see if I was ill. 

If I need a booster every eight months or so, so be it. 

The boost won't have me going out and doing more things. It's just a layer of protection for me and my family. 

Song by: Joseph

Half Mast

Norm Macdonald was ok and all, but this seems a bit much. 

That's it.  That's all I got. 

Song by: Empire of the Sun

Genius

#accurate

Song by: Warren Zevon

Morning Has Broken

It seemingly took us forever, but we finally made it through the Morning Show (on Apple TV+). 

The length was more due to laziness than the quality of the show. We are just not binge watchers of anything. I get it's the culture now, but we're not there yet. 

The show itself is actually well done. I mean, it's not Aaron Sorkin's Newsroom  - but that's not necessarily a bad thing either. 

While both shows are slightly heavy-handed, the Morning Show is pretty much - at least Season 1 - is a one topic hand. Newsroom was a new topic each week, so they had more to shove down your throat in a shorter period of time. 

The Morning Show is all about #metoo. And it's well done, if not dark and creepy, but you know......#metoo. Those guys are dark and creepy. 

For the most part, I can take or leave both Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. To me, Friends is not a show that has aged well. In a way, it's like the comedy version of Succession - in terms of all the characters are just so unlikeable when you break down their annoyances. Witherspoon may have been at her best as Aniston's sister on that sitcom. 

Witherspoon has an Oscar (who doesn't?), but for most of the episodes Aniston comes off better. Not nice - just better, as an actress. I'm not sure Reese gets her due until the last episode. But she's has dark hair in this, so you know she's serious actress. 

The best scene is with Witherspoon, but it has little to do with her.  Someone named Gugu Mbatha-Raw (honest, I'm not making that up - though she might have) carries the episode, not even the scene. 

Steve Carell is there too. He's one of the creepy #mtoo'ers. He's almost likeable until he's not. Ironically, he thinks is pal, played by Martin Short, is a predator, when in fact, Carell's "Mitch" is too - maybe worse, he clearly just doesn't see it. 

Oh - and BILLY CRUDUP.  The man is fucking brilliant when he wants to be, and he is beyond brilliant here. For me, he totally makes the show.  

We finally made it through all 10 episodes, right before Season 2 starts. Maybe that won't take us as long to make it through the next 10. 

Song by: Cat Stevens

12 of 12

So I'm doing my 137th 12 of 12.

Normally it is 12 pictures taken on the 12th of the month. Since I only post once per day, you get my images the following day. All pictures taken with my iPhone. Click images to enlarge, if you choose.

Created by Chad Darnell and picked up from, what I can tell, any number of random bloggers who then link back to him and vice versa. Chad is no longer doing this, nor is successor coordinating the linking of other 12 of 12'ers anymore. Erik is back and I think he's picking up 12 of 12 again. 

03:32.  My first wake-up. 

I went back to sleep - at least for a while. 

07:19.  Sophie didn't want me to read the newspaper. 

I stopped. She got pets. She always wins. 

07:46.  Filling the bin. 

Can't feed the dog, if he doesn't have fud at the ready. 

09:30.  HRH Walk #2

Shep waits for the palace gates to be opened for his exit. 

10:29.  Outdoor 2nd B'fast. 

Actually, a raspberry croissant and a meet-up with my cousin, David, who had a sticky bun (....the jokes write themselves)

12:35. Lunch.  

Tacos

14:59.  My hometown. 

First time I'd stopped since my mother died over two years ago. 

16:09.  Grocery back-up. 

Never seen the store this crowded. Not sure what was going on. 

16:32.  Gassing up for the week. 

17:56.  Beer!   ......for.........

18:11.  .....my weekly zoom call with friends. 

20:07.  1:16  until our late dinner. 

Neighborhood #2

Yesterday was our annual* block party.   ......in our new neighborhood. 

Yes, we had them in our old 'hood, but this was our first here. And it was different. And good. 

There was no pot luck, like our old place had been. It didn't dawn on me immediately (read: 2 weeks)  that it was due to Covid. Touching and feeling piles of food that multiple people will encounter isn't a good look these days. 

So, it was BYOB (and we did) and there was a taco truck -- which only took touchless payment. Ahhhhh.........the new normal. 

710 wasn't in the mood to go, but I pushed it a bit. Due to the pandemic, we have met next to no one on our street, let alone the surrounding area. Everyone is either sheltering in place or avoiding us. At least that's my story. 

And truthfully, it was a slow start. We finally knew one couple, and our realtor. 

Honestly, I had a goal: to meet the other gay couple who lived two streets away. They are younger than us, for sure, and have a gaybie. But we'd seem them as we each walk our respective dogs (and their baby).  I mean, I don't think I was looking to be friends with them, but at least being able to do a chin nod and say  " 'sup " as we passed each other didn't seem beyond the pale. 

Oddly, one of them made a point of leaving a group of other folks and coming over to us and introducing themselves. We had a great convo and then his husband joined and it continued. I actually ended up liking both of them a lot -and their baby has an INTENSE stare. Unnerving, actually. But he's cute. 

As we got our tacos, we met a couple on our street - who are slightly older than us. Sara(h) was THRILLED to meet someone else. She was hoping for a more community feel to the street and didn't think it was there. She and her husband invited us to sit with them and eat.  And it was nice. We plan to at least sit outside for drinks soon. 

And we met our brand new neighbors from two doors down. They just moved in. They seemed great too. Loved the husband. He's funny, so we'll be fine. 

Oh - and we thought we met the person who sent out the email for the event. But as it turns out Taylor wasn't the guy who sent out notice. It was his wife..........Taylor.   Yes. They are both named Taylor. Now when they call out names during sex, it might just be a bit narcissistic and could possibly not be even directed to their partner.   .....and the opening of mail could be a challenge. 

So, our planned 30 minutes in-and-out turned to two hours. ....and we came away with some potential new friends but at least with names of neighbors on the street. ...and the neighboring streets.  I'm happy we went. I think 710 is too. 

*no block party happened in 2020 due to Covid. 

Song by: Arcade Fire

Remember

For the day, I'll suspend a Sophie / Shep post. 

It felt weird not to acknowledge the 20th anniversary of 9/11, so while initially I fought the post, I finally leaned into it. Kind of. 

I have zero new to say about it. I have no new insight. 

What I can't find are the photos I took three weeks after the event, when I was in NYC. Maybe they're on a jump drive somewhere - or somewhere on my old laptop. 

I can count on one finger the times I've just reposted something, so this won't be that. But it will be a retrospective. 

Below are links to some of my 9/11 posts - be it the actual day/anniversary, visits to memorial sites, etc.......but mostly just the first two. 

I don't think they'll be in any order - not even chronological. Just stuff for you to read, should you want to........or not.  But it's 9/11.  Not to read my stuff is kind of disrespecting the victims.....and the terrorists win.    .........but that's on you. 

Posts

Tower of Learning

Possibly my best 9/11 post. It's 10 years old. It's 10 years out from the original date. 

Tower of Song

No. Maybe this one is better, from five year anniversary

Forget Me Nots 

Ramblings after a visit to the 9/11 Memorial Site. A visit. There have been multiple. 

Speed the Collapse

A slight bit of levity ?

Memorial Visits

NYC - site

This place is still haunted for me, but I oddly love going there. 

NYC - museum

I've been once. Never a need again.

Shanksville, PA

The memorial wasn't completely finished on our visit. I would like to go back at some point. 

Pentagon

It was our final memorial visit. I got in trouble. 

I've said a number of times in some of those above posts that 'this is my last 9/11 post'. Clearly, I lied. But THIS time, it'll stick.  Maybe I'll be around for the 30th, perhaps not. But even if I am - that would be another decade of blogging. I'm not sure I'll have that in me. 

....and yes. That's what she said. 

Song by: John Lennon

Signs of Life

First off - what the hell is Nebraska doing right? 

This map - as of yesterday - showed all the Covid hot spots in the U.S. 

It's not the one county area Nevada has goin' on. It's almost the whole frickin' state. 

Either zero people live there, or they've all gotten the vaccine or got their hands on some primo horse dewormer. Either way - good for them. I guess. 

We've all been making fun of Florida - and you know, usually, rightfully so. But fuuuuck. Tennessee - you are all sucky as hell. Kenfucky - you get exactly what you deserve with the leadership you keep re-electing. I have zerrrrro sympathy for any of you. 

As much as the alt right is going to burn this country down in flames - Pappy Joe isn't wrong about the vaccination mandate. 

Make no mistake - the right WILL burn this country down with that mandate too. 

This will force the two of the three major hospital systems in the CLE to make sure their workers are immunized. The third one has already required this.  The two others were afraid staff (read: nurses) would leave - and they still might, but they'll have much fewer place in which they can be employed elsewhere. 

It would be nice if any of this happened, or enough so that it could make a difference in the severity of the illness to give some relief to this current way of life. I see ironic anti-vaxx'ing lawsuits from the same group that are proponents of 'right to life'. 

I have said it before, if these guys want to fight it and keep dying, I'm ok with it.  ....but the response is not going to be pretty. 

Oh - and this Pappy Joe proclamation totally diverts his Afghanistan fuck up. 

Song by: Arcade Fire

the Stroke

 Post-Mortem Jesus gets a happy ending.

I guess he did rise after the dying, after all. 

.....and yes, I did have nothing to write about.  How'd you know???

Song by: Billy Squire

Count Me Out

I don't think any of this is coincidence. 

Over the weekend, Melanoma comes out with multiple stories (though quoted in none of them, but you know it was her handiwork) that she has zero interest in being First Whore Lady again. 

Then today, her pimp husband says he's 99, 100 % likely to run for BLOTUS II. 

The first good news:  Math is not BLOTUS' strong suit. Ask any of his bankruptcy attorneys or Electoral College counters. So, 99, 100 seems..........well.............reaching. 

The second good news.......possibly:  party-splitting. This could (or should) weed out if the GOP will follow this douchebag twice. If not, it could be an easy slam-dunk for the Dems, except nothing is ever an easy slam-dunk for them. 

Of course, the potential bad news is: these fucking GOPers are just fine following the 21st century Jim Jones to the new Guyana. BYO Kool-Aid. They'll follow him there, behind the likes of Gym Jordan who will have his tongue extended into the Cheeto Anus - if it can make it around the Depends.  ......and you know it will. 

The lack of Melanoma won't be a hinderance to him. She wasn't around enough to matter in the first place. No one would miss her - and I'm sure the likes of Ivanka and / or Lara Trump will more than make up for being the understudy in the role of Lady MacBeth.

You might think this is too early to worry about this hopeful nonsense, but it really isn't. 

I'm thinking Kamala has been scarily silent these last few months - even with the Texas abortion thingy - because they are keeping her from making even a slight gaffe, should she need to be the nominee in 2024. I mean, Pappy Joe ain't getting any younger...........and that big pile of Afghanistan dung he stepped in ain't helping his or the Dems case. 

Song by: the Shoes

a Heartbeat is a Lovebeat

So, I have a theory about this whole Texas / Abortion Ban / Bounty shit.  But I'm sure you thought I would. 

Personally, I think that Texas had to go WAY out there for this, but only so they get the abortion ban part to stick. 

The bounty piece is so egregious and I think totally unlawful, I don't even think the legislature figured a court would uphold it - state, federal, appellate or supreme.  However, they also figured that would be the sticking point and the thing folks focused on the most.  And they weren't wrong.

So they will be well and good and happy if the bounty part gets dropped, but the abortion ban part stays in place. And I think that is on which they are counting. 

As evil geniuses goes, this isn't a bad plan at all. 

While, of course, this is a continuation on a War on Women, let's be completely frank: it is a War on Women of Color and Economic Means. 

White women, who can afford it, will always have access to abortion. Those without funds, transportation, jobs or the ability to take a day off will never have this ability. 

And BT'DUB.....

SURPRISE.  

White women in Texas overwhelmingly voted for BLOTUS and his ilk. So it's not just men dictating what happens to a woman's body. White ladies also want to continually deny anything and everything to women / people of colour and the poor. But it's Texas, we know they knowingly and willingly entered into this coven of horribleness. 

And you know - once again - it's a War on Women of Color and Economic Means when there is zero punishment for men in any of this. As you know, women get into these situations by themselves. So unless a dude drives them to the abortion or knows about it and doesn't stop them, then it's a bounty issue. 

I have a friend who works at Planned Parenthood and FYI - Mississippi, South Dakota, and Ohio are the next ones looking at the same restrictions and bounties. If Newsome loses the California recall and a Republican gets in as governor, your can add that state to the list as well. 

Oh, and 22 states have laws currently in place - Ohio being one - if Roe falls, the state follows Federal law. State laws will no longer apply. Look for more states to add that before SCOTUS truly hears this full-on. 

Here MIGHT be a silver lining?   Mid-terms. 

IF the Dems have the fucking balls to galvanize behind this issue alone, they could rally and really make the mid-terms their own. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening. They have no leadership in Pelosi or Schumer. The minority seemingly has, if not all the power, then the most of the media attention. McCarthy and McConnell still rule the roost and we, once again, get beat up for our lunch money.

Oh - and $$$.  I have long been a customer of AT&T.  They were better than Sprint and less annoying than Verizon. But they gave $291,000 to members of the Texas legislature who passed that law. I will be looking to change my carrier, as soon as I look into other's donation habits. And I will be cutting off auto-pay before I do it, because if they think I'm paying an early termination fee {see what I did there?} they as fucked as the women that Texas is fucking over. 

Song by: the DeFranco Family (ft. Tony DeFranco)

My Music Monday

The theme is:  music - new(er) and old - we heard to, at and from vacation. 

This one is new(er).  I've heard Cannon's "Bad Dream" once or twice before vacay, so it was semi-familiar. But highway driving is different than city driving, so I had a different kind of attention span while trekking through Virginia and North Carolina. 

"Bad Dream" certainly has an ethereal quality. The synths and layered vocals remind me of something from the late 80s / early 90s of whom I cannot put my finger on. 

Honestly, there is nothing groundbreaking about this song - musically or lyrically. Yet, I still like it. It's not sing-along, though I'm sure some do and will. It's just great background music. 

 

Get Together

We have been in our "new" house 17 months. We had our first gathering last night. 

Gathering might be a strong word, but friends David and James came over for dinner. Carry-out, actually, as some people are still being cautious about who touches what and how. I totally get it. 

While I'm happy I didn't have to cook, I'd have gladly done it, but we got to spend a LOT of time with the two. 

As 710 pointed out, usually we see a movie with them and then a quick after-film dinner. This was a four hour eat (well, maybe 35 minutes of eat) and catch-up.  We have not seen them - not really - since February of 2020. They are our closest Cleveland friends and it was weird not to be seeing them. 

As I've mentioned here any number of times, I'm fairly socially inept and this was no different - though with these two, I don't think they cared, though both are fairly socially fluent. But with a 19 month gap, 710 said to me beforehand, "I don't know how to host anymore".  

I'm not sure we ever did, but I think we do ok. And we did ok. 

We had some drinks, though they usually do not. We had some things to sample that were in individual bowls for each person, so no one shared or had to. Dinner was carry-out and the individual chocolate mouse cups were a huge hit.  

Everyone was double-vaxxed and no masks were used, though we all had them. We sat a decent amount apart, so we were mindful but not overly diligent. There were hugs and not just touched elbows. 

It wasn't a spreader event - super or not. No one left with Covid.  Probably. 

I know Delta variant is out there, so we won't do this often or maybe anytime soon, but it was nice to reconnect. It felt human. 

But it was the catch-up.  We missed an election cycle. We have missed the dozen movies we would have seen with them. We missed job changes, life changes, family changes. It took four hours to catch up. Maybe longer, but we cut it at four. I mean, I'm writing this after my normal bedtime because they left after my normal bedtime.

But at least I'll go to bed content. 

Song by: Madonna

Chocolate

Yay.  Three day weekend Four Day Work Week !!

As you guessed, re-entry to work from vacation was difficult. Yet, it's job security, such as it is.  But animals make it all better. 

Day 1 from being back from vacation. He was a love sponge. 

She was indifferent. But pretty. 

Day Care pick-up. 

Only a matter of the time he's literally in the driver seat. 

Bailey in her car carrier. 

Those ears. That face. 

Scratchies. 

This is Malley. She's a chocolate lab. 

Malley's a local chocolatier here in the 216.  Get it?? 

Going to day care every day makes him one tired dog. 

Song by: Snow Patrol

Poison

As if the courts aren't already deciding what a woman can (well, really what they can't) do with their body, now they are moving on to what hospitals and doctors should do. 

Texas, which I still cannot deal with at this point in time, isn't the only fuck up state in the union. Ohio is right there too. 

In West Chester, which unsurprisingly in the southern part of the state - a stone's throw away from Kentucky, y'all - a judge has ruled that a hospital ICU must (yes.......MUST!) give a Covid patient Ivermectin. 

Yes. A woman got a prescription from a doctor (allegedly not an animal one!) and now a judge is forcing the hospital to give it to the patient, who is on a ventilator. 

The order is to treat the patient with it for three weeks, because it is requested by his wife - - - who is not a medical or veterinary expert {shocking}.

Poison Centers across the country are spiking with calls regarding people who have taken it.  Like. I. Care.  This, people, is how Natural Selection works. And why it works.  Let. Them. Die.   Be it by not vaxxing or taking livestock medication. I really don't care.  Not. At. All. 

Yet this is a no win for the hospital and / or healthcare. Should he live (doubtful), it won't be due to Ivermectin - not that you'll be able to tell the Yokel Republic that. If he dies - dollars to doughnuts the family sues the hospital for administering a drug that the FDA has not approved.  Or because they didn't give the drug soon enough. 

At this point, I hope the drug makes it a horrible, painful death that the wife has to watch.

Of course, she might just be in it for the insurance pay-out. 

Still - the courts are making medical decisions - and not just end of life kind of things. This isn't "to pull the plug on a patient who has been brain dead for 8 years".  They are making medical / treatment decisions on something about which they know nothing. You can't even have expert witnesses in this - as this is not a drug for humans, let alone tested on them. There is zero data on this and zero "experts" for the pro side. 

I don't know the repercussions for the hospital if they refuse to comply. Personally, I would transfer that patient out of there quick as fuck. But of course, they'd be sued - live or die. 

Song by: Bell Biv DeVoe

Another Day

 

Two days in a row of nothing.  I'm still digging out at work - on long days. 

My brain is a little fried, and I'm in no mood to talk Covid stupidness (i.e. unvaxx'd teacher infecting their class, who are in turn infecting their homes) or Texas abortions - or the basic elimination of them. 

So, I'm doing nothing. 

Song by: Sting

E-Mail

I got nothing. 

Re-entry to work has been tough-ish.  It started with coming back to 996 emails. 

Nine Hundred and Ninety Fucking Six. 

I'm down to about 440.  ......after two days.  Mind you, I got another 300 since being back, so in a way I'm down from 1296.  Kind of. 

So,  I'm kind of tired of looking at a screen - hence the "I got nothing". 

....because, I got nothing. 

Song by: the Pet Shop Boys

Train of Thought

I know you're all dying to axe what we did on vacation. 

I'll get to that at some point, but we did take a few days to get to our final destination. 

I'm apologizing to Cookie, I'd say in advance, but really in retrospect. We came through - and stayed ! - in Baltimore one night. It's been ages since I've been to anything but BWI. 

I didn't even give Cookie an opportunity to turn me down to meet up for a drink. I wasn't thinking - so, I am sorry for not at least trying. 

But 710 is a Maryland boy, so you can take him out of it, but can't take it out of the boy. Yes, something about that line is very very dirty. I get it. 

710 is also a railroad boy. 

He loves me almost as much as he loves trains. His maternal grandfather (his namesake), who died well well before 710 was born, worked on the railroad.......all his live-long day. 710's license plate is the demarkation of the caboose where 710 Sr worked. 

There are tales of the depression, when 710 Sr. would throw coal off the train to the poor families who would come to the track, during winter, so they could keep warm. 

And in Baltimore - unsurprisingly enough - is the B&O Railroad Museum.  And since he loves me, almost as much as he loves trains, I agreed (not even begrudgingly) to go.  There is also that connection of Baltimore (he) and Ohio (me). 

Naturally, we got there an hour before it was supposed to close. Bother.  AND it was like $20 per person!

That all said, the museum is a beautifully restored roundhouse.  It might be sad to say, but after three and one half decades together, I know what a roundhouse is.  In that B&O roundhouse are some beautifully restored trains. 

There was actually cool stuff.............and if need be, historical stuff. 

So I got husband points (which can be redeemed for absolutely nothing!) for going. 

After that, we went to our Fells Point boutique hotel, which turned out to be - ta da - the old B&O tobacco warehouse. I got zero points for that, because he picked the hotel, though he didn't know the history of the building. 

B&O was nice, but according to a woman in the lobby, it is not near as nice as the railroad museum in Strasberg, PA.  I'd say I'd have to see it for myself to judge, but...............you know...........

Song by: a-ha

My Music Monday

I will start a September theme a few days early:  Songs I Heard on Vacation. 

Some will be new. Most will be not. 

Todays is a song from the past: 1981. 

I like the Moody Blues enough, as they did somewhat pop and moved into progressive rock when Justin Hayward took over for Denny Laine (who would go on to play with Wings). 

But with the advent of music videos and the change in radio - the progressive stations going away for popular fare - the band semi-adapted. "The Voice" would be a perfect bridge from prog rock to pop rock. 

I forgot how much I liked the song - and got to hear it twice on our trip*.

 

* I fully believe that Sirius XM uses the same x amount of songs for certain y amount of weeks / months and then rotates them out. If you listen enough, their playlists (on almost any station) are predictable. Access to hundreds of thousands of songs, yet each station will use like 64.........repeatedly. 

the Best

I'm going out on a limb that anyone who reads my blog is of a certain age and intelligence level and knows who Tina Turner is. 

Let's assume, and that way I don't have to go into a lot exposition when I say we saw the HBO documentary on her, Tina a few days back. 

Of course, I knew her background - at least to a fairly good degree. And that is without reading her autobiography, I, Tina, or seeing the movie of her life, What's Love Got to Do With It. 

Truth be told, I've never purchased one of her disks. I mean, who needed to - for 5-7 years, she was EVERYWHERE.  Not in a bad way, but she and her manager really worked the circuit and you couldn't turn on TV or MTV and not see her. 

At 81, she agreed to this documentary, as her parting gift to the public. For years, she has been a private citizen, all but retiring from recording and performing. She gave up her U.S. citizenship about a decade ago and has rarely been back to this country. 

The (re)telling of her story for this doc is, of course, ironic, though I believe that was lost on the creator, director and even on the subject herself. 

They go into great detail on her rise with Ike Turner and the subsequent abuse and divorce. Much of her post Ike years has been on the explanation end of anything about Ike. Clips of Turner semi-masterfully answering / deflecting these constant barrages did nothing to lessen the talk during interviews. The juxtaposition of Ike answering similar questions is more like tap dancing in a minefield. 

She claimed to write her autobiography so it would address / answer all those past issues. It didn't work (though honestly, a good PR person would have pulled the plug on any interviewer asking questions from which they were told to stay away). And now Turner is doing this doc explaining the same media issues and the issues stemming from the original one. It's a rehash of the rehash. 

That all said - Tina is very well done. 

Almost all from Turner's perspective from her current age - so that she can look back with even a different mindset, though I doubt it was. I think the most poignant thing was a line - and I'll paraphrase - all the success she's had and the happy time have never and could never outweigh the bad. 

The idea that money cannot buy happiness stands here. A woman, who was abandoned by her parents, and who left a physically and mentally abusive marriage with nothing but her name and all the cancellation fees from the Ike & Tina Review (when she walked out) is worth something close to $250MM.  Yet her perception remains: those good times are still less than - and overshadowed by - the bad ones. 

I think they miss some things - even when they mention Ike being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Both were inducted together, yet I'm 94% sure she's never mentioned.  That omission once again gives Ike that notoriety and diminishes her contribution - which is what Ike did all their years together. And Tina will be only the second two-time female inductee after Stevie Nicks. .....but this documentary was made before that announcement. 

It's a solid two hours. 

.....they never even mentioning that the blog title song of this post is featured in Schitt's Creek. It would have been worth asking if she's ever seen it. 

2021 Movie Count / Goal: 13 of 15 

Song by: Tina Turner

Away From Home

Back home after our week and a half away.  We missed the kids a lot, but tried to not let it consume us. 

Sophie was at home and had someone with her all the time, so she probably got more attention than when we were home. And Shep was safely boarded at his daycare place. 

Some pics are holdovers, as clearly, we weren't home to take new ones. But some are from the daycare's IG feed. 

Shep still isn't really allowed in the new yard yet. Soon. 

Hanging together, before we went on vacation. 

At least a co-starring role and not just the extra. 

He looks happy being there. 

Same here. 

We got to see, and sometimes pet, dogs while we were away. 

This beauty lived next door to where we were staying - she LOVVVVED  the foolball. 

....and Shep finally got a starring movie from daycare / boarding. 

Soph was happy to have us home, but didn't give too much grief - as her aunt stayed with her the entire time. She was well cared after. 

.....and now they're back together. 

Song by: David Broza

Cool, Calm & Collected

This week, in blogville, has been almost all about music. And death. And / Or. 

I won't say the death of Rolling Stones drummer, Charlie Watts, hit me hard, but it certainly got me thinking. 

Watts had been the band's drummer since 1963 (my age!).  That is job longevity.  Only Jagger and Richards had been with the band longer. All other members have come and gone, one way or another. 

Charlie was what I would call the most unassuming member of a rock band ever - and I'm including Tracy Partridge in that grouping. 

For what might be the greatest rock and roll band ever (arguably!), Watts had one of the smallest drunk kits ever.  See kids - it's not all about size, but about how you use it.  Whatever "it" may be for you. 

I used to joke with my friend Ann (when she was my friend), that Charlie always seemed so bored with it all. His energy level was just above that as having a pulse......barely. 

The reality is: he kept the tempo for a highly energetic rock group for almost 60 years. You don't do that without keeping the pace for them - not the other way around. He just did it with aplomb and an unwavering set of hands.  .....and a seemingly expressionless face. 

The thinking part, to which I mentioned earlier, is really age.  Watts was 80. The rest of the band isn't far behind, yet still about to go out on the road (and the plan was to do it without Watts anyways).  The bands of my era are all in their 70s and 80s now.......instead of being from the '70s and '80s. That is, if they're still alive at all. 

Of course, these bands are rarely, if ever, producing anything new (though the Stones put out a pretty decent song during Covid in 2020), and the tours are for the dollars. I get for some of them, they need the coin, but the Stones, Fleetwood Mac, U2 aren't any of them. If they were funneling those dollars to the musicians who struggle, I get it - but they're more than likely paying off ex-spouses.  Being Jerry Hall ain't cheap................am'I right Rupert???

So, adieu Mr. Watts. It was a wild 58 years.   ....and can you believe it?  Keith Richards outlasted you. 

Song by: the Rolling Stones