Full of what on Friday

Date:                                       Friday, October 8th, 2010
Word of the Day:                    mana (MAH\nuh); a generalized supernatural force or power, which may be concentrated in objects or persons

Weight:                                  221 pounds
Goal:                                      lose 100 pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose:                       89 pounds
Waist Size:                             48 inches
Rowing Duration:                   to be decided, eventually

How about that Brent Hayden, pictured below,  winning the 100 metre freestyle at the Commonwealth Games.  Brent not only won the gold medal, but he broke Michael Phelp's world record, how about that people, yea Canada! I bet the people in Mission, British Columbia are beaming from ear to ear.  At the Commonwealth games today/yesterday, our atheletes won nine (9), yup, NINE GOLD MEDALS, how about that?, Go Canada Go!

 It is now six days in a row that the weather up here at the cottage on the lake has been perfect, not one cloud in the sky, now if it would only warm up, I guess you really can't have everything.

 Are many of you disappointed in me that I haven't rowed in a couple of days, the weather really has been severly cold, and the minute I get Cruella inside the cottage, I will get back to it, believe me, I'm not happy about missing my exercise.   I do know that Bonita is terribly disappointed in me, and has offered to come over to the cottage on the lake, (Bonita is on the neighbouring island,) to assist Zac and I in relocating Cruella, great, but will Bonita help us in relocating Cruella all the way to Toronto?

 It appears that the majority of you people prefer when my posts are longer (see that Lily,) as opposed to shorter, maybe that just applies for the people who aren't too busy at work, or maybe that applies to my die-hard fans,  I prefer to choose the latter to explain why people prefer my long-winded posts. wouldn't you? heheh.

Please drink responsibly, if you must drink this Thanksgiving weekend, and try to remember what the holiday is all about, I know I thank God every day for all of my blessings, and I truly am grateful to live in this great country of ours, I love Canada, and understand why there are so many people out there who are trying to get citizenship in this country.

Well, Winter, Zac and I are experiencing our last two weeks here at the cottage on the lake, at least for this year, and I'm feeling a little melancholy about that fact, however, I'm trying to focus on the fact that I'll soon be seeing my kids in Florida,  and that helps chase away the blues, there's a lesson there for all of you/us!!!!

Do you know that when I was disabled for three years, yes folks, I could not walk for three years as a result to side effects to taking so much prednisone, anyway, in that time period, I did not once, not once, did I feel sorry for myself.   I always remembered that there were many more people out there that were in far worse straits than I,  and I focused on what I did have, and not what I didn't have,  and that got me through all of the rough times.  I may have mentioned this to you before but it is Thanksgiving, and so I'm remembering to be thankful that I can walk without the aid of a walker, or even crutches, and I only have my cane handy to be on the safe side, well my doctor recommended that I keep it with me if I'm to be 100% honest with you.

Even though I did not row last night, I still got up shortly after one o'clock am.  I had taped the movie "Alien" that was on earlier in the night on the Turner Classic Movie (TCM) channel, so I got up and watched it while I transferred it from the satellite onto dvd.

On this day in history, let us not forget the great Chicago fire  which burned from Sunday October 8 to early Tuesday October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about four square miles in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest United States disasters of the 19th century, the rebuilding that began almost immediately spurred Chicago's development into one of the most populous and economically important American and international cities.

The fire started at about 9 p.m. on Sunday, October 8, in or around a small shed that bordered the alley behind 137 DeKoven Street. The traditional account of the origin of the fire is that it was started by a cow kicking over a lantern in the barn owned by Patrick and Catherine O'Leary. ( I love cows and I'm not talking about loving them on my plate!) Michael Ahern, the Chicago Republican reporter who created the cow story, admitted in 1893 that he had made it up because he thought it would make colorful copy.


The fire's spread was aided by the city's overuse of wood for building, the strong northwesterly winds, and a drought before the fire.  The city also made fatal errors by not reacting soon enough and citizens were apparently unconcerned when it began, sound familiar people in New Orleans? (I am, of course, referring to the initial reaction of people regarding Katrina.) The firefighters were also exhausted from fighting a fire that happened the day before which is indicative that Chicago was sorely lacking in appropriate staff.

I have a huge fear of fire, which is why I chose to write about this one fire that happened not so very long ago, please ensure that in your home:  your smoke alarms are working properly, change the batteries on these smoke alarms at least twice a year, have a rehearsal fire evacuation drill, so that if you ever need to escape a fire, you and your family will have at least practiced getting out of a house on fire, and if your clothes happen to catch fire, always remember to stop, drop and roll.   Please practice doing this procedure,  and ensure that your children learn it as well,  remember in case your clothes catch fire, always STOP, DROP AND ROLL!!!!

Have a Happy and SAFE Thanksgiving!

Topics coming soon:

Sex
Television
Blogging

Thursday Delight

Date:                                     Thursday, October 7th, 2010
Word of the Day:                    acta,(AK\tuh); official records, as of acts, deeds, proceedings, transactions or the like

Weight:                                  221 pounds
Goal:                                     lose 100 pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose:                      89 pounds
Waist Size:                            48 inches
Rowing Duration:                  not done because of the cold

I hope today is delightful, we shall see, we shall all see!

For the fifth day in a row, here at the cottage on the lake it is sunny, bright, blue, and very chilly.   I couldn't row as it was way too cold in the screened-in porch, even with wearing two sweaters, I'm serious.  Zac and I have to move Cruella inside. 

I am also wondering if we should bother moving Cruella back to Toronto.  We will only be in Toronto for a couple of weeks and then we're off to Florida.  I am ordering a rowing machine for me to have down in Florida, I'm thinking of calling it Cruella's Child.  I'm speculating  if  we should bother relocating Cruella when we close up the cottage on the lake?  Actually, we will be in Toronto for most of January and February, so that decides it, Cruella is going to Toronto.

At this very moment, Winter is sleeping next to my foot, she has become like another limb of mine.

My hobby this past summer has been been taping movies from the satellite and then transferring them onto dvd.  Some of my dvds are eight hours in length, and I can get four two hour movies on the discs,  the quality isn't the best, as you might expect, but they are watchable, and it is these four movie discs that I plan to bring with me down to Florida so that I have stuff to watch while were there.

I heard on the "Today" show that a new book is coming out on Marilyn Monroe, it is her diary, I kid you not, they read a few entries, it seems indicative that Marilyn was quite lonely and insecure, gee I'm so surprised, aren't you?  I am curious as to who will get the profits from the sale of the book which is called "Fragments!" 

Image via Wikipedia

 
 I loved Marilyn Monroe and will watch and rewatch all of her movies, especially "All About Eve." Marilyn only has a cameo in this movie, but it is rather memorable, and the movie is worth watching on that score alone.  By the way, "All About Eve" has got to be one of my absolute favourite movies of all time, and it is not only entertaining, but it is also a scathing report on idolatry.

Cover via Amazon

My tickets for Billy Elliot, the musical arrived yesterday, I'll have to put them some place safe, have you got yours yet?  Trust me, this musical is going to be bigger than big,  and you don't want to be the only one on the block who doesn't see it, do you remember the fuss over "Les Miserables?" well, people heard from me first that they should see it.  I actually am hoping that they bring back the musical "Les Miserables," I have a few friends that still haven't seen it,  and it looks like the only way they will see it is if I bring them, so Cherry and Lily, if/when "Les Miserables" comes back to Toronto, you have a date with Efrem, yes of course it will be my treat.


  I am curious as to what you will be eating for the holiday Thanksgiving.  I know most of you will indulge in eating turkey, but I do know that some of you are vegetarian, what will you eat as a treat?  And what about those people that are allergic to eating fowl, will you be eating fish or pasta?  Let me know.

Did you know that a quarter of Americans ages 18 to 34 binge drink, this is a horrible statistic.  Despite the fact that binge drinking increases the risk of dating violence, overdosing on drugs, being involved in a fatal car crash, and contracting a sexually transmitted disease (std), one in four people between the ages of 18 and 34 admitted in a recent United States study, (Canada can't be far behind,)  to having engaged in binge drinking within the past month.  Excessive drinking, including binge drinking, kills more than 79,000 people in the United States every year and it is the third-leading cause of premature deaths and disabilities worldwide.

I read that among high school students who drink, 60 percent say they binge drink, which the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines as four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men over the span of a few hours.

Men in the study were more than twice as likely as women to binge drink, with 21 percent of men reporting binge drinking, compared with 10 percent of women.  Binge drinking was more common among whites than blacks, with 16 percent of whites reporting binge drinking compared with 10 percent of blacks.  How about that, just thought that you should know this information as you may want to, and should curtail your drinking.

Topics coming soon:

Sex
Television
Blogging

Winter's Wednesday

Date:                                    Wednesday, October 6th, 2010
Word of the Day:                   nympholepsy (NIM\fuh\lep\see); a frenzy of emotion, as for something unattainable; an ecstasy supposed by the ancients,  to be inspired by nymphs

Weight:                                 221 pounds (I, obviously forgot to weigh in, oh well, I can wait until next Sunday)

Goal:                                    lose 100 pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose:                      89 pounds

Waist Size:                            48 inches

Rowing Duration:                   to be announced

Image via WikipediaI love this logo of synchronized swimmers, my post has nothing to do with this sport, I just like the way it looks.

I thought I would dedicate my post today to my wonderful child/dog, Winter.  I love this Winter more than I ever thought I could love anyone, Winter truly has brought so much happiness, not only to me, but to all of my wonderful nieces and nephews and to Zac, especially Zac.  I wish my mother could have known Winter, she would have loved her, oh well, at least Zac's mother got the opportunity to know, and love Winter.

Image by John Biehler via Flickr

Are any of you watching the Commonwealth

Games?, they're coming from Delhi, India.  How about that?   I'm so proud of all of our atheletes, they are doing so well, how about our women gymnasts, they got/won a bronze medal,  I never thought I would see the day when our atheletes would win a bronze medal in women's gymnastics, I mean, a Kyle Shewfelt, (okay so he was one of our male gymnasts, gymnastics is gymnastics,)  just doesn't come around every day, gosh he, Kyle Shewfelt really was extraordinary (in his day and in the Olympics,) and we should all be very proud of all of his accomplishments, I know I am.  

 I have been thinking about going back to school, yes I know I'll be older than my professor, I'll probably be as old as the school, anyway, I am just thinking about it.  Don't get too disappointed if I don't do it, there is so much that depends on this decision, I don't know how I can possibly do it, but on that note alone, I think I should try.  If Kyle Shewfelt can go back to University at age 28, well, Efrem Williams won't look too ridiculous. In any case, like Kyle, I don't want to sit around and wait for my life to unfold, not anymore people, not anymore. 

Image via WikipediaDid you know that on October 5th, the legendary Orient Express had its first run.  The Orient Express was a passenger tran that ran from Paris (one of my very favourite cities,) to Istanbul for more than eighty years.  Europe's first transcontinental express train, it covered over 1,700 miles (2,740 km) and its luxriously furnished cars became the symbol of glamour for European society.  It was discontinued in 1977 and revived in 1982 to run between London and Venice as the "Venice Simpion Orient Express.  The movie, "Murder on the Orient Express" is one of my all-time whodunit favourites, now you know, don't you?

The withdrawal of the Direct Orient Express was thought by many to signal the end of Orient Express as a whole, but in fact a service under this name continued to run from Paris to Budapest and Bucharest as before (via Strasbourg, Munich, and Budapest). This continued until 2001, when the service was cut back to just Paris-Vienna, the coaches for which are attached to the Paris-Strasbourg express. This service continued daily, listed in the timetables under the name Orient Express, until 8 June 2007. However, with the opening of the Paris-Strasbourg high speed rail line on 10 June 2007, the Orient Express service was further cut back to Strasbourg-Vienna, departing nightly at 22:20 from Strasbourg, and still bearing the name. It provides a convenient connection from the TGV arrival from Paris.

Image via WikipediaOne interesting feature of the current Orient Express train is its heterogeneous assembly of rolling stock coming from France, Germany, Austria, and previously, Hungary and Romania, (where some of the greatest gymnasts from all time hail from here,) which allowed people to easily compare the choices of these countries and to choose the one that suited them best. Of course, the sleeping car and the restaurant car previously belonging to the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits are sometimes there too.

Though the current service only runs from Strasbourg to Vienna, it is possible to retrace the entire original Orient Express route with four trains:Paris-Strasbourg, Strasbourg-Vienna, Vienna-Belgrade and Belgrade-Istanbul, each of which operate daily. Other routes from Paris to Istanbul also exist, such as Paris-Munich-Budapest-Bucharest-Istanbul, or Paris-Zurich-Belgrade-Istanbul, all of which have comparable travel times of approximately 60 hours without delays.

I just bought some souvenirs from The Oprah Store, I spent about two hundred dollars, and I hope to give some of these purchases as gifts for Christmas, do you know how many days it is until Christmas?, its coming up fast people, you have been warned!  My keyboard is acting up again, which is why my diction is somewhat strange, and also why there are no question marks, apostrophes in this paragraph, I wish I could figure this one out, give me time, I will!!!!

Okay, my keyboard is back to normal, I saved my post, then turned my computer off,  restarted it, and voila (I'm so French!,) my keyboard is back in regular mode.

Sometimes I feel I am just like the character of Cosmo Kramer from the Seinfeld show.  Like Kramer, I get ideas to do strange ventures, or to start a new business.  My brain is always percolating with ideas, and some of the ones that get generated are making their way into my book,  "Just Don't Tell My Mother!"  

(I have another suggestion for you, clearly the idea of donating money to a charity if I reach my goal of losing 100 pounds in one year duration wasn't well received, well, it may have, but none of you let me know it, anyway, my new suggestion is quite selfish.  Why don't you try to start a BUZZ and ask your local bookseller if they've received the book "Just don't tell my mother" yet?  Or, if you happen to be a publisher....)   

Anyway, back to my Cosmo Kramer idea.  The one I have been kicking around lately is to open up a restaurant on one of the islands up here.  I know it sounds crazy, (remember when people thought TWITTER was a joke, now its worth about a billion dollars!,) and the restaurant could only be opened, well, I could only be there for six months, I guess it is conceivable that someone else could run it in the winter months, that is, if they brought their own drinking water, well during the winter months, everyone will have to bring their own drinking water,  and all people would also have to use an out house,(YIKES, even the idea gives me ughy shivers,) the water freezes in winter making it impossible to have a flushing toilet, any of you genius inventors out there care to give this one a crack, please feel free to submit to me your ideas, and thank you in advance.

I really liked last night's episode of Glee, almost everyone in the cast got to sing a song, some people even got two songs, WOW!, the girl that sang "Bridge over Troubled Water," can really belt them out, she's got a lot of power, it was a great episode, but I don't know if Curt's father is still alive, the ending was kind of mixed, oh well, we shall see, shan't we?

It looks like another beautiful, bright, blue, sunny, albeit cold day here at the cottage on the lake.  This makes four spectacular days in a row, butTopics coming soon: all the days are spectacular here at the cottage on the lake, just ask Winter!

Topics coming soon:

Sex
Television
Blogging

Taylor on Tuesday

Date                                      Tuesday, October 5th, 2010
Word of the Day:                    teem (TEEM); to abound or swarm, be prolific or fertile
Weight:                                  221 pounds
Goal:                                      lose 100 pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose:                      89 pounds
Waist Size:                            46 inches
Rowing Duration:                   sick today 


I am always glad to get Monday's over with, unless a holiday happens to fall on a Monday, and then, well, I'm pretty sure you know how I feel, don't you?

I am sick today, I just logged on after being quite sick in the washroom, sorry about that, but I was.
Anyway, I'm going to be sick again so I'm cutting this short.  I hope to be better tomorrow.

Topics coming soon:

Sex
Television
Blogging

Mean Monday

Date:                                       Monday, October 4th, 2010

 Word of the                            fossick (FOS\ik); to search for any                                                               object by which to make gain

Image via WikipediaWeight:                                   221 pounds

Goal:                                      lose 100 pounds in one year duration

Pounds to lose:                       89 pounds
Waist Size:                             48 inches
Rowing Duration:                   77 minutes, and 44 seconds




It's back to Monday and once a week, I hope to provide you with some grammar insight.  Today, I'm starting my very first grammar lesson, (who would have ever thought that I would be doing this?,) which is intended to not only help you, but to help me, yes,  I need help with grammar, there are so many rules and exceptions that one needs to constantly refresh his and her self with the rules of grammar.  Here goes nothing:  What is a preposition?

Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and some other word or element in the rest of the sentence.  A good way, and easy way, to remember this, is to always think of any word that best describes the relationship between an apple and a caterpillar.  For example, if I could draw an apple, and a caterpillar, I would then place the caterpillar on top of the apple.  Please try to picture this image, and then ask yourself, what way describes the relationship between the caterpillar and the apple?, and hopefully you would/will conclude that the caterpillar is/was above the apple.  Above is the preposition.   Hope that helps, (you see, the grammar lesson wasn't that difficult,) and there will not be another grammar lesson for a whole week!!!!!!  PLEASE NOTE:  YOU WILL NOT BE TESTED ON THIS LESSON, SO RELAX, AND KEEP READING!!!

Yesterday, Sunday, turned out to be rather nice after all, really, it was a sunny, beautiful, bright and blue Sunday afternoon, hope today holds up equally beautiful.   I rowed after all, yup, in the afternoon instead of taking my usual, wonderful nap, I rowed and I stayed on Cruella for 77 minutes and forty-four seconds.  That was pretty good, considering that the rowing was accomplished in the afternoon, so how about that sports people?, or other people keeping track of my exercise program!!!  I hope today turns out to be just as rewarding.

Speaking of yesterday, now the following subject is a little dry, but I do try and cover many topics and genres, it was/would have been the birthday of Thomas Wolfe (1900).  Thomas Wolfe, who I envy, began his writing career writing plays, and after finishing writing plays, Wolfe turned to writing novels which were thinly veiled autobiographies.  Thomas Wolfe's writing habits, heavily influenced by excessive drinking were haphazard and undisciplined.  In Thomas Wolfe's "The Story of a Novel," Wolfe describes how editor Maxwell Perkins, (who Sean Penn will play in an upcoming movie, please see blurb on this after bigger blurb on Wolfe) helped him turn the chaotic manuscripts for his first two books into publishable works.  After Wolfe's death, William Faulkner said that Wolfe was his generation's best writer, and Faulkner listed himself as second best, that's CLASS, at least I think so.

Image via Wikipedia

Wolfe was born in Asheville, North Carolina, wherever that is, where his mother was a successful real estate speculator, (everyone's getting into real estate these days,)  and his father was a stone carver (so butch!)  Wolfe studied at the University of North Carolina, where he was a member of the Dialectic Society, Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, and an actor with the Carolina Playmakers. Thomas Wolfe received his Masters in playwriting at Harvard University.   Even if they would accept me, I do not want to be a cliche and attend Harvard.   Unable to sell any of his plays, Wolfe found his writing style was more suited to fiction than to the stage.  Thomas Wolfe took a temporary job teaching at New York University, (where I'm thinking of going to study film and/or acting, but that's another story, so many other stories,) but left after a year for Europe to continue writing.  Europe is an inspirational place to do writing, or paint, or even just wander around.

Thomas Clayton Wolfe (October 3, 1900 – September 15, 1938) was an important American novelist of the 20th century.  Wolfe wrote four lengthy novels, including "Look Homeward Angel," plus many short stories, dramatic works, and novel fragments.  Thomas Wolfe is known for mixing highly original, poetic, rhapsodical, and impressionistic prose with autobiographical writing.  Thomas Wolfe's books, written during the Great Depression, depict the variety and diversity of American culture.

On a 1937 trip to the West, Wolfe was stricken with pneumonia, (I, myself have had four pneumonias) complications arose, and Thomas Wolfe eventually was diagnosed with miliary tuberculosis(??????)  of the brain.  Wolfe was treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital, but the attempt at a life-saving operation revealed the disease had overrun the entire right side of Thomas Wolfe's brain. Without regaining consciousness, Thomas Wolfe died three days later.

Despite Thomas Wolfe's disagreements with Maxwell Perkins, the aforementioned prominent editor and Scribner's and Sons, on his deathbed, Thomas Wolfe wrote a deeply moving letter to Mr. Perkins. In the letter, Wolfe acknowledged that Perkins had helped to realize his work and had made Thomas Wolfe's  labours possible. In closing Wolfe wrote, "I shall always think of you and feel about you the way it was that Fourth of July day three years ago when you met me at the boat, and we went out on the cafe on the river and had a drink and later went on top of the tall building, and all the strangeness and the glory and the power of life and of the city was below."

After Thomas Wolfe's death, two further novels, "The Web and the Rock" and "You Can't Go Home Again" were published posthumously, editorially mined out of the October Fair manuscript by Edward Aswell of Harper and Row. Thomas Wolfe was buried in Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, NC beside another famous writer, O. Henry.

Now, back to brief blurb on Sean Penn, (whom I believe is one of the better actors of today) playing Maxwell Perkins, the most famous literary editor in publishing history.  Sean Penn, (who is noted as a rather miserable and violent human being, talented nonetheless,) will star in a film called "Genius," telling the story of literary editor Max Perkins who worked with legendary authors like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe. River Road Enterprises producer/financier Bill Pohlad will finally direct the drama after many others have tried before.

Image via Wikipedia Pohlad hasn't directed a feature since 1990 (something called "Old Explorers"), so this seems like a risk, but he's been in the business as a producer (he's worked on films like "Brokeback Mountain" and "Into the Wild") long enough to know what's going on, even if his vision hasn't exactly been prominent on-screen. Previously, directors like Michael London and Lawrence Kasdan have been attached through various incarnations, but it never got off the ground. This has more sure footing because Penn and Pohlad have a history not only with "Into the Wild," but other recent soon-to-be-released films starring Penn like "Fair Game" and "The Tree of Life."

The story comes from A. Scott Berg's biography Max Perkins: Editor of Genius, which chronicles the life and work of the eccentric editor as he found him at the Scribner publishing house in New York overseeing some of literature's most famous works from the best of the best authors (Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Vonnegut, etc).

 The bulk of the story will deal with Perkins relationship with a younger Thomas Wolfe, (notice how I'm able to bring blurbs full circle, well that takes a special talent, don't you think?,) with lots of cameos from other known literary types. It doesn't sound like the most thrilling of stories, but if directors have been trying to get it off the ground for awhile, there's got to be something worthwhile in the story. Sound good?  I bet Sean Penn ends up the recipient of three Academy Awards (Oscars), yup, you heard/read it here first!!!!!!

Topics coming soon:

Sex (didn't I talk about this; I have to check my other posts to find out for sure!)

Television

Blogging

Related articles by Zemanta

• Sean Penn in Talks to Play Max Perkins, the EDITOR OF GENIUS Behind Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and Wolfe (collider.com)
• Sean Penn in talks to Star in GENIUS (geektyrant.com)
• Sean Penn Might Play Editor Maxwell Perkins (mediabistro.com)

Surviving on Sunday

Date:                                       Sunday, October 3rd, 2010
Word of the Day:                    mussitate (MUHS\i\teyt); to silently move the lips in simulation of audible speech
Weight:                                    to be announced
Goal:                                        lose 100 pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose:                        to be announced
Waist Size:                              48 inches
Rowing Duration:                    to be announced

At least I survived the dinner party, Susie and Blake had a good time, Zac had to take them both over to the landing as they never brought their boat, obviously, Zac picked them up, you are quick, aren't you?

Susie and Blake brought with them some home-made black cherry wine, it was too delicious and worked its magic on me.

Quite naturally, and predicatably, I ate way too much, we served hummus, and salsa with corn chips as an hor d'oeuvre, and I ate more than my share of them.   Zac's roast beef was perfectly cooked and his roast potatoes were simply sumptious, the sweet potato was okay, you really can't go wrong with serving sweet potato, unless it is hated as a vegetable.  Ice cream, home-made brownies and raspberries were served for dessert, a very delicious dessert, but all I indulged in was an activia yogurt, how is that for control?

I, obviously,  slept in today and then I got up and ate breakfast, completely forgetting to weigh in, oh well, I'll do it tomorrow.  I did get up to row on Cruella, but it was much too cold, I'm going to have to bring Cruella inside if I'm to continue exercising.  I hope to get on to Cruella after the day warms up a bit, but it will take an awful lot of warming up, maybe tomorrow will be better, I am an eternal optimist.

Today would have been the birthday of Charles Albert of Sardinia (1798) but I don't feel much in the mood to write about him, count your blessings, its not meant as disrespect to Mr. Albert, I just don't feel like writing.

Yup, another cold, dark, dull day here at the cottage on the lake, and I don't seem to be in the mood to do anything, except stay here warm underneath the blankets watching television, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) in particular.

I've been getting alot of email lately, thank you, and I'll try to answer the one you sent as soon as I can, it will not be today.

I just finished watching Helen Mirren in the movie "The Queen," I didn't like this movie very much, I still miss Princess Diana, her death really was an upset to my life, not to mention the lives of Princes William and Harry.Cover of The Queen

 Do you remember where you were when you got the news of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales?  I, of course, was at our other cottage on the lake, we have since sold that one and are now at this one which is situated on its very own island, yup, we own an island, how about that?

I don't remember where I was when the news of the death of President John F. Kennedy hit the airwaves, maybe I was too young, I don't know, but I do remember the death of his brother, Robert.  I remember saying a prayer thanking God that Robert F. Kennedy died, he would have been brain-dead, had he lived.

I just watched a preview of the movie "Love Actually," this is one of my very favourite movies of all time, I thought each of the separate stories were interesting and I loved Bill Nighy in it, he was/is so funny.

I don't understand why whenever I type some prose, some pictures will appear on the side of my column that reflects what I write, but it picks and chooses what pictures it wants to bring up, for example, it did not bring up pictures of JFK when I mentioned him, but it did, obviously, bring up pictures of the poster for the movie "The Queen," can any of you explain that?

I am cutting this post short today, yes I know, you could have predicted that, but it really is ugly outside, Ugly Sunday, hmnm., that might have been a good title, maybe I'll use it some other time.  Anyway, hope you are having a wonderful weekend.  Work tomorrow, so make today count!

Topics coming soon:

Sex
Television
Blogging
Image via Wikipedia

Shopping, Sex, and Sin on Saturday

Date:                                         Saturday, October 2nd, 2010
Word of the Day:                     satori (suh|TOHR\ee); in Zen Buddhism, the state of sudden indescribable intuitive enlightment (doesn't that sound like it would make a great title for a book or an X-rated movie?)

Weight:                                    221 pounds
Goal:                                        lose 100 pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose:                        89 pounds
Waist Size:                              48 inches
Rowing Duration:                     72 minutes, five seconds

Here we go again, its the weekend, don't these two days fly by faster than all of the other days in the week?  Why is that?

There is some slight improvement on the rowing, its like I started all over again, well its hard to do when it is so cold out there on the screened-in porch, its not that screened in!!!!

Zac, Winter, and I are expecting some dinner guests today, we had planned to have Susie and Blake earlier in the summer, but we kept procrastinating, and before we knew it, the summer was over, instead we will be entertaining them today.

Tomorrow is my weigh-in day, as you know, and I'm really not looking forward to stepping on that scale, I have been so bad in eating treats, well, there's always the day after tomorrow, and I promise, I'm going to be so good next week, famous last words that I should incorporate into my day today!!!!!!!

Last night on the Turner Classic Movie (TCM) channel, they ran four movies surrounding the theme of Dracula, I taped them naturally.   I love(d) watching Dracula movies, I used to see a plethora of vampire movies when I was just a young boy at the local show, a theatre (cinema) that was located at Yonge and Dundas Streets, known as the Downtown.  It certainly was, and I miss going to the Downtown, I saw alot of good movies there, including a double bill which consisted of "The Graduate" and "Wait Until Dark."  The Downtown was famous for running double bills, unlike the Biltmore theatre which always showed three movies, yup, one more movie for your money,  and going to the Biltmore to see movies took up all of Saturday and if you went there, you frequently did not get home until five o'clock p.m.  The Biltmore show usually showed the reruns of films earlier shown at the Downtown.  I remember the cost to get into the Dowtown and Biltmore was fifteen cents, going up later to a whole quarter, yup, it cost a whole twenty-five cents for a day at the movies, not counting popcorn of course.Image via Wikipedia

It is back to being cloudy, dull and very cold, I guess this is what to expect in the month of October.  Winter is hanging around me a little more than usual, she seems to sense when Zac is leaving the cottage, even for a short time, Winter feels things to a huge degree and likes to get reassurance from me that she is wanted and loved, who could possibly not love our Winter?, she is absolutely the best dog in the world, Zac and I don't even think of her as a dog, Winter is just a member of our family.

I made the coffee extra strong today, perhaps too strong, oh well, it will wake me up, that's not necessarily a good thing?  How are you feeling this morning Bertha? (just in case there is a Bertha out there, hehe!!!!)

Do I need to provide an explanation on the title of today's post?, well, here goes: it is usually on a Saturday that people do their shopping, some couples frequently wait all week to indulge in some much needed, and wanted SEX, they shouldn't, but they do wait, and SIN, because if were going to commit any SIN, you and we better get it done before tomorrow as tomorrow we repent all of our SIN, so there!!!

The latest magazine from Cunard came yesterday, its called "The Cunarder" and you receive it free if you were ever a customer on the Queen Elizabeth Two (QE2), or any other of Cunard ocean liners, which, I was, Zac likes to lord it over me

 Image via Wikipedia

that he has been on the QE2 twice.  Zac and I would very much like to do another transatlantic crossing and the prices seem to have come down an awful lot, the problem is Winter, we don't like to go anywhere without her, and I'm pretty sure the new Queen Elizabeth doesn't allow dogs on the liner, but, I'll check it out and who knows, maybe in two or three months, you could be reading a post from the new Queen Elizabeth, wouldn't that be, oh so loverly, as Eliza Doolittle would say!!!!Seeing that image of the Queen Elizabeth 2 makes me long to take another crossing, gosh, I need to win that lottery today!, who doesn't?,  J.K. Rowling, that's who!!!, did you see her on Oprah?

I know I could have used a smaller picture of the QE2 for today's post, but I wanted you to get an idea just how beautiful the QE2 was, she was so big, so expensive, so gorgeous,  and being on that ship was the best vacation that I ever had, I don't think I can ever top that vacation, but it would be fun to try, don't you think?  I remember that when I came back from being on the QE2, (did I mention that I took the Concord to get over to England to take the QE2, just making sure,)  I brought back a souvenir of a teacup of the QE2 for everyone with whom I worked,  a little extravagant of me but nice nonetheless!!!!

Yesterday would have been the birthday, (I now talk about today's birthday as birthdays are everyone's special day and I think we all need and should feel special,) of Annie  Besant.

Annie Besant was an English social reformer, who in 1889 embraced Theosophy,  a religious philosophy with mystical concerns.  Annie Besant served as international president of The Theosophical Society from 1907 until her death.  After moving to India in 1893, Anne Besant became an independence leader and established the Indian Home Rule League.  Annie Besant was president of the Indian National Congress in 1917, but later split with Gandhi, a personal idol of mine.  Annie Besant lost custody of her children and was nearly imprisoned for publishing what Annie Besant and Charles Bradlaugh became household names in 1877 when Besant and Bradlaugh published a book by the American birth-control campaigner, Charles Knowlton. It claimed that working-class families could never be happy until they were able to decide how many children they wanted.  It suggested ways to limit the size of their families.  The Knowlton book caused great offence to the churches, but Annie and Bradlaugh proclaimed in the National Reformer: "We intend to publish nothing we do not think we can morally defend. All that we publish we shall defend."


Annie, ( a great title for a musical,) Besant and Charles Bradlaugh were arrested and put on trial for publishing the Knowlton book. They were found guilty, but released pending appeal. As well as great opposition, Annie and Bradlaugh also received a great deal of support in the Liberal press. Arguments raged back and forth in the letters and comment columns as well as in the courtroom. For a time, it looked as though they would be sent to prison. The case was thrown out finally only on a technical point: the charges had not been properly drawn up.

The scandal lost Annie her children. Frank Besant was able to persuade the court that she was unfit to look after them, and the children were handed over to him permanently.

Now people, you may think that I have provided you with some useless information, but trust me, this information could come up in a trivial pursuit game, and knowing a little something about Annie Besant could make you the champion of the day, so just store that in your pipe and smoke it, (I hate recommending smoking, but there you go,)  and one day, your name might come up in my blog,  so you should keep reading thisthatandhim to stay informed. 

My sister-in-law, Louise, is leaving Gainesville, Florida, tomorrow to go on a two-day convention in Chicago, Illinois.  I know that Sally, Jessie and Raphael will miss her terribly, but I'm sure that my brother Biff will miss her even more.

  I hope Louise finds time to have a little fun in the windy city (Chicago, another great name for a musical,) and I have instructed Louise to keep her eyes open just in case she bumps into Oprah Winfrey, what are the chances of that?, care to take a stab?, any and all of you Actuaries out there?

Well folks, as I mentioned at the top of this post, Zac, Winter and I are expecting guests, so there is plenty of chores that need doing, and since Zac has gone to town to get groceries and the newspaper, I reckon that I will have to do the doing of the chores.

Have a great day, be safe if you're single and planning to have sex, (but you should wait until you are married for sex, it really does make it that more special,) please don't drink and drive, stay sober, yeah, STAY SOBER!!!!!

Topics coming soon:

Sex
Television
Blogging