Misfit Market Experiment

I learned of Misfit Market from this blog, linked from Laura Vanderkam. I signed us up to receive a weekly Mischief Box for $22, enough vegetables for two people.

I canceled my order after four weeks (though I received the fifth box today based on my date of cancelation.) MM just started box customization after I canceled. It would have helped if customization had been offered from the beginning. In our five packages we got three butternut squashes, one summer squash, one acorn squash, an eggplant, and two small zucchinis. We're just not that big on squash though we occasionally eat butternut and acorn. We've also gotten many apples. We like apples but don't eat them at the volume we've received them.

There were a few other issues. We got a bottle of hot sauce in one delivery--not the produce I expected. While most of the produce was in good condition, we received a few spoiled pieces: a few leaves of kale, a peach or two.

It just didn't work for us.

Luck

Today I found this:

I've only found two four-leaf clovers in my life and both in the same area of our yard.

 I'll take this luck on behalf of Lola.

The Best of Star Trek Deep Space Nine

Deep Space Nine is my favorite of the Star Trek series. I liked that it was darker than the other Star Trek shows, that the show was based in one location, that it used serial storytelling, and that it had a mystical and spiritual element. I also liked the backstory of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor.

I've been watching DS9 a lot lately because BBC America has added it to its programming on Mondays and Tuesdays. It had been shown less frequently than Next Generation.

Here's a list of my favorites in order of appearance:

Season One
The Emissary Part One
The Emissary Part Two

Season Two
The Jem'Hadar

Season Three
The Search Part One
The Search Part Two
The House of Quark
Second Skin
Past Tense Part One
Past Tense Part Two

Season Five 
Trials and Tribbleations
In Purgatory's Shadow
By Inferno's Light

Season Six
You Are Cordially Invited
Far Beyond the Stars
In the Pale Moonlight

Season Seven
Take Me Out to the Holosuite
Badda-Bing Badda-Bang
The Changing Face of Evil
What You Leave Behind (two-hour episode)

I've got 19 here; I don't have one clear favorite as I do with The Original Series and The Next Generation. I notice that even though I like the darkness of DS9, I've listed some of the lighter episodes: Trials and Tribbleations, You Are Cordially Invited, Take Me Out to the Holosuite, and Badda-Bing Badda-Bang.

Maybe I'll do a ranking of episodes another time.

Homebodies

Lola has basically been quarantined since her surgery on Tuesday. She's supposed to stay inside (except for peeing, etc.) until her stitches are removed next Friday.

I feel bad for her; she thrives going to parks and trails. On Wednesday, she walked me to my car seemingly asking me to please take her somewhere fun. Poor Lola (again.) She can't seem to get the hang of walking with the cone; she keeps bumping into things.

The cone is properly called the Elizabethan collar. Jeff cracked me up when he said, "What if we're Catholics and don't approve of Elizabethan collars?" Seriously, he asked the vet if we could use an inflatable collar, but she didn't think that would work as well.

Feeding Lola has been a work in progress. The first night I hand fed her and used her gulpy cup to give her water. Then I realized she could use her regular water bowl as long as I kept it full. I tried putting her food on a small plate and holding it for her. Later I used a small bowl with a rubber bottom. I place it on a rug in the kitchen and that's been working well.

For the first time in February, we had outside workers from Kitchen Magic and Cablevision in our unit. I would have had to be home for several hours for them anyway, but I also feel it's important to stay home with Lola. Ironically, I'll be more at home this week than earlier weeks even though it's safer to be out (Connecticut's Covid-19 rate is low.) Of course, Jeff was home this week working. Work was stressful, so I'm encouraging him to get out of the house and do something fun this weekend. I'll babysit Lola.

I can't wait until Friday: Jeff has a four-day weekend, and Lola gets her stitches out. Time to celebrate!

Poor Lola Part Two

Poor Lola

Lola is in surgery today. She has a growth in her abdomen. While she's under anesthesia, the doctor will remove a wart on her face, a small growth in her mouth, clean her teeth, check her anal glands, and trim her nails. The doctor doesn't think her abdomen tumor is cancerous. If it is, it will be cured by surgery.

I thought about taking her for a walk early this morning, but we're not supposed to give her water, so decided against that. Temps are already in the 70's with high humidity.

Lola's had a rough few months. She was diagnosed with two tick-borne infections and mildly elevated toxic byproducts in her kidneys. Antibiotics didn't cure the toxicity, so Lola is transitioning to a special kidney care diet.

Lola was so excited to get into the car with us this morning. Then she started shaking when we got to the vet's. I feel so guilty.

This won't be an inexpensive visit. I'm glad we have the money to take care of her. Lola had a bad beginning to her life, but her past four years with us have been good. We want to continue with a good life for her.

Can't wait till we can pick her up this afternoon.

Saturday Night Movie: The Good Liar

This was a selection of HBO On Demand. I vaguely remember seeing commercials for this film and wanted to see Ian McKellan and Helen Mirren together.

I liked the movie. I disagree with many of the scathing reviews on imdb.com; some called it both predictable and preposterous (which sound contradictory to me.) I didn't think that Mirren's Betty was a patsy; she seemed too smart for that. The ultimate plot point was far-fetched, but I can suspend disbelief. After all, I watched soap operas. The story held my interest to the end.

The acting was good, especially McKellan and Mirren.

I'd like to watch it again to see if I missed any clues.

The Best of Star Trek The Next Generation

BBC America has been showing reruns of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. I've been thinking about my favorite episodes. I had previously written about some of my favorites from the original series. Now it's time for The Next Generation.

I love The Best of Both Worlds. This was a two-part cliffhanger of Seasons Three and Four. I found this article today--Part One aired 30 years ago.

Here is my Top Ten:
1. The Best of Both Worlds Part One
2. The Best of Both Worlds Part Two
3. Yesterday's Enterprise
4. Parallels
5. The Drumhead
6. Qpid
7. Measure of a Man
8. Time's Arrow Part One
9.  Inner Light
10. Conundrum

I'm fairly certain about the ranking of the top five; I think they're all classics that I can watch again and again. Six through 10 could change. Time's Arrow is the only two-part episode that doesn't include the second half. Part One is the Season Five cliff-hanger. I remember watching it and then changing the channel to immediately rewatch it. Part Two suffers from too much Mark Twain. While I enjoyed Conundrum in which all members of the crew lost their memories, I didn't buy the explanation of how it occurred.

Honorable mention episodes include Gambit Parts One and Two, A Matter of Honor, Rascals, A Matter of Time, Darmok, All Good Things Parts One and Two, Disaster, Future Imperfect, and Power Play.

Writing, Blogging, and Thinking

I've come to that conclusion after looking at my blog over the last few weeks and seeing how long it has/had been between posts that I think more about writing and blogging than I actually write and blog.

I guess it's similar to the idea that people think they work more hours than they really do and that they think they exercise more than they do.

On Monday, I finished my zoom writing class on flash and micro fiction. I haven't written since then. I actually started this post on Wednesday, but I'm just getting back to it now.

I don't know what my problem is. Here are some ideas. I need all the help I can get.

Saturday Night Movie: Pride & Prejudice 2005

Saturday I was perusing the movie options on demand and found this version of Pride & Prejudice. I read the book last month and liked it. I thought Keira Knightley would make a wonderful Lizzie, and she did.

Matthew Macfadyen made a great Darcy. I loved Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennett: Sutherland brought a lot of warmth to a small supporting role. Judi Dench was good as the snobbish, imperious aunt. It was fun to see actors we had previously seen in other shows: Simon Woods from Rome, Tom Hollander from Absolutely Fabulous, Rupert Friend from Homeland.

I loved the way the film showed conversations in the middle of dances.  I wish the film spent more time on the scandal of Lydia and Mr. Pinkham and how serious it was. My only quibble was the corny last few lines of dialogue. 

Edited to add: I just learned on Wikipedia that the corny last few lines  is the American ending: I should have known.

Book 12: M Train by Patti Smith

M Train is described as a memoir but it was far more than that: an unusual travel guide and a meditation on writing and art. Patti Smith is a wonderful writer.

This was one of my many library book sale purchases. I had heard of Just Kids--actually that's the book I thought I was buying. I hadn't heard anything about M Train. At one point, I wondered if I should even read it. I'm glad that I did.

Here are a few lines I marked:

A young women brushed past me with an armful of flowers. A dizzying perfume lingered, then dispelled, replaced by a vertiginous refrain. I was conscious of everything, a beating heart, the scent of a song wafting in a conflict of breezes, and the human current heading home.

Slowing his blood, the beating of his heart, with the forbearance of a fasting scribe he writes what has to be written, conscious of the movement of his wrist as words spread across the the surface of the paper like an ancient magic spell. 

Images have their way of dissolving and then abruptly returning, pulling along the joy and pain attached to them like tin cans rattling from the back of an old-fashioned wedding vehicle. 

Two Films of the Dead End Kids

TCM has shown many Warners Brothers films recently. I re-watched two starring The Dead End Kids.

The Dead End Kids started in the movie in 1937's Dead End  (d'oh.) They later appeared in various incarnations as the Little Tough Guys, East Side Kids, and Bowery Boys.

They Made Me A Criminal (1939) was John Garfield's first starring role. We lost him too soon at age 39. I wish I had seen him with Bette Davis other than when they were playing themselves in Hollywood Canteen  and Thank Your Lucky Stars. 

Back to They Made Me a Criminal, Johnnie is a boxer left to take the blame when he's black out drunk and his manager kills someone. He hits the road and ends up at a ranch for delinquent kids (guess who.) He sacrifices his freedom to return to the boxing ring to earn money for the ranch, knowing that a New York cop (Claude Rains) is waiting to arrest him.

So, it's a bit unrealistic that Claude Rains who so doggedly pursues Johnny, lets him go at the end of the picture, but I don't care. He deserves a break.

Angels Wash Their Faces puts the gang back in their usual New York City setting. This time they're joined by Gabe Ryan (Frankie Thomas) who's recently been released from juvenile detention. He and his sister Joy (Ann Sheridan) are looking for a new start. Unfortunately Gabe is a prime target for framing for arson by Martino (Eduardo Ciannelli) and his gang.

The movie seems disjointed: the first half focuses on Gabe until he is jailed, and the second half focuses on Billy (Billy Halop) the leader of the Kids and their attempts to free Gabe. The Kids ultimately succeed via Billy's appointment as mayor for a week.

It was fun to see Frankie Thomas and Bonita Granville together but not as Ted and Nancy. Also, watch for Marjorie Main. She's brilliant in a small role as the mother of the Kid killed in an arson fire. 

Noir Classic Re-Watch: Double Indemnity

"It was a hot afternoon. I can still remember the smell of honeysuckle all along that street. How could I have known that murder can sometimes smell like honeysuckle?"

Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) has just met Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) and murder is in the air.

There's a reason this film is a classic. The opening credits run over an image of a man on crutches walking toward the camera. A car rushes through the Los Angeles night running through an iconic "STOP/GO" light. Walter Neff stumbles into his office to dictate his story of murder for his co-worker Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson.) 

The narration makes sense here based on the close relationship between Neff and Keyes. Neff wants to explain how he and Phyllis Dietrichson planned the murder and how they dealt with unforeseen problems and complications.

The three main actors shine in strong performances. This film was shown as part of the evening line-up when Robinson was star of the month. Robinson is excellent, even in a scene where MacMurray listens to him on a dictaphone. The supporting cast is also good. 

I really enjoyed seeing this movie again. It reminds me that there's always something more in good films. It can be something you didn't notice before or something you forgot. It can be a look, a prop, a shadow. There is always something more to discover in good films.

A Week in Photos

I was a late adopter of the cell phone. I was afraid I'd get a lot of unwanted calls. Within a week of getting one, I learned how handy it was--I got stuck in a terrible traffic jam and was able to call Jeff and explain where I was.

Similarly, I didn't get why phones had cameras. Now I see it's an agent of social change. On a lighter note, I enjoy spontaneously capturing some images that appeal to me. Here are some from the last week or so.

Oyster Shell Park: these blackbird don't stay still for very long and I wasn't able to get close to them. Here are a few blurred images. Funny, Oyster Shell is the only place I've seen these birds.

On Thursday we saw several ground hogs. Here's a shot from afar.

Here's a view from the nearby Sono boardwalk.

We took a long walk last Saturday and saw these roses on Water Street. I loved the colors.

At Taylor Farm we saw this dog who reminded me of Spike.

A little later we met this beagle Luna. 

Here are some buttercups. We used to hold these under our chins. A yellow glow meant you liked butter. I was surprised that buttercups was a real name.

Yesterday after a walk at Taylor Farm, we headed to Sono 1420 for a drink and met Jagermeister.

We're going for a long walk today: I wonder what will catch my eye. 

Birthday, Anniversaries, and Transitions

Last weekend marked some important milestones. I'm not sure why I didn't write about them then. Maybe I just needed more time to reflect.

I had a birthday, a big one. I'm now officially old. I am now on Medicare (which is financially advantageous for us) and I've started getting a pension.

It's weird. I've started out wanting to get older, wanting to be an adult. I guess most of us aspire to be 21. Then I wanted to be 29--I thought that age would be the height of sophistication. Later it was 39--I'd still like to be that age.

I didn't mind getting older. I didn't lie about my age.  I celebrated a 50th birthday party. 

But now, my age has put me in a bit of a funk. It feels different. I'm not just a year older. It's not entering a new decade. I'm in a new category--a new phase of my life. In many ways, it's the last phase. This doesn't mean that I'm giving up or waiting for the end. The best may be yet to come. But I have to be realistic, the majority of my life is over. It's only natural for me to mull over about what I have and haven't accomplished. 

May 23rd marked 10 years of blogging. I haven't always been consistent, but I'm still blogging.

Memorial Weekend Friday was the 15th anniversary of the first Dog Park Friday (DPF.) I think the heyday of DPF is over, primarily because of Covid-19. But we plan to continue going, and we have some fond memories of previous years.