J-Dubs Grin and Bear It

Friday Fun-day! 7/3/20

Published on July 3, 2020July 2, 2020 by J-Dub1 Comment

Alexander Hamilton!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yaaassss. By the time you read this post I will have seen the #Hamilfilm at least once. No I’m not setting an alarm to wake up at 3 am ET but I will watch it before 7 am CT right after our walk which we’ve been doing for five weeks now. Squirrel! I keep asking Lulu what week are we on? Four or five? She confirms we complete five on Saturday. We’ve fallen into a rhythm. Good stuff.

Back to #Hamilfilm, I’m super excited. I saw the show live at the Majestic in May of 2019. The touring cast did them proud. Still there is something extra special about seeing the originals. Swoon. I am diverting my attention from all that is wrong right now and diving in deep to the escapism that is musical theater. I hope we don’t break the Internet. Of course I’ll report back if we do. If I can that is … cuz ya know … a broken Internet would end the world as we know it.

Hope your day is a Friday Fun-day too!!!!!

Stay safe out there.

As always, more to come.

Ramblings on My Day Off

Published on July 2, 2020July 2, 2020 by J-Dub9 Comments

I had to take time off since I am reaching the limit. I made an unscheduled grocery order for pick up mid day since I was free. Then Walmart cancelled that order. I was all what the what! Seriously Meredith Grey? Yes … seriously.

We’re regular customers. Pre and post Rona. The curbside was a new thing for us though. We swore we’d never get that lazy but then going into the store became too dicey. Out of the gate we were impressed. The phone knows when you arrive. Someone is out to load the groceries almost instantaneously. We even got a gift the first time. Snacks!!! On Mother’s Day I got a rose. On Father’s Day B got a sample size deodorant. We became spoiled.

Then two weeks ago, the time to check in alert never came. We went to pick up anyway. After parking I checked my phone. En route we got an email of a delay. Which is fine except the notice came 5 minutes before the allotted time. Last Sunday same thing. They were delayed. Then today a complete cancel. Must be too much to handle with the spike in cases. I have to imagine people are calling out and turnover is high. We have $20 discount for next time so there is that.

I get this is small potatoes. Teeny tiny. We’ll get by. The only reason we even had an order was HEB shorted us. Despite ordering 1 to 1.25 lbs cube steak, we got .24 lbs for four people. Not gonna cut it even though we are scaling back on portion sizes.

Again, small potatoes considering we’ve not been hungry a day in our lives Never ever. Not truly hungry. Ya see “America has been very very good to me”. I believe it was Eddie Murphy who said that in the movie “Coming to America”. All I know is that I heard it somewhere.

Sad day in the Dub household. On July 2, 2006 my brother in law passed away. In quite a tragic manner. B’s baby brother and only sibling. Not a day goes by that B doesn’t think of him. He’s stoic and says little but it’s palpable.

I wrote this three years ago. Still fits. In Memoriam – DGW

As always, more to come.

J-Dub’s Review of “The Andromeda Strain”

Published on July 2, 2020July 2, 2020 by J-Dub10 Comments

Welp, no spoilers because the book has been out for ages. Michael Crichton’s 1969 “The Andromeda Strain” was cutting edge. In fact, I read in the Wiki that he started the genre of techno-thriller with this book. For me this is take two or three. Still as good as ever.

A quick easy beach read. Yeah, I said beach read. Not that the subject is all rom-com chick-lit but the pace was quick and easy. I could picture myself lounging on the beach. In my favorite chair, under an umbrella with drink in one hand (plastic only or course) and Kindle reader in the other. Well I can sort of picture myself lounging and reading on the Texas Riviera. Ya see the beaches here are closing up again. Dang mo-fo’s couldn’t wait to be back out there again and this happens. Failed re-open attempt. But I digress …

Or do I digress? Ya see in this story written 50 some odds years ago, space crud hits the fictional town of Piedmont AZ. Everyone but two die. The old Sterno drinker and a baby boy. A response team of scientists/doctors set up years before for this type of emergency is called in to save the day. Lots of stuff happens and eventually they do just that … save the day. The ending is heart racing, we are on the edge of our seats wondering can he stop the detonation in time? The space crud which caused a town’s demise mutates to a harmless blob and floats up, up, and away. If we switch space crud with Rona then Bingo! no longer fictional and we are in 2020 instead of 1969. Woo to the hoo. Ha!

I was going to quote a line but since my book was a loaner from the online library on my Kindle which has since been returned, I will have to paraphrase. This single utterance struck me since this was written all those years ago. Somehow like Kreskin, Michael Crichton is a soothsayer.

“The president doesn’t like scientists” so-and-so said. He simply doesn’t trust them.

Well, well, well what have we here?!?!?

Solid 4 of 5 star 💫 rating.

As always, more to come.

#1linerWeds. 7/1/20

Published on July 1, 2020July 1, 2020 by J-Dub17 Comments

Wowser! I can’t believe it is already July. I have lost all perception of time. Well sort of. I am clearly aware of every hour of every day but when I think about being shelter in place since March, I have to take a breath. Wowser! Say it with me. Oh my my 🙂

Staying with the corny, here ya go …

“Those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand.” ― Kurt Vonnegut

To play along or see the other entries, here are the rules and ping back.

Happy Wednesday !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haiku – Intent & Thought

Published on June 29, 2020 by J-Dub4 Comments

Steadfast, purposeful

Success around the corner

Driven to achieve

Written for Ronovan Writes #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge 312 Intent&Thought

Sunday Reflections ~ 6/28/20

Published on June 28, 2020June 27, 2020 by J-Dub8 Comments

Before I begin, Happy Birthday Pony Boy!!! Wishing you a lifetime of health and happiness. Cheers to 32!!! This is your year son-shine.

I used the llama feature photo again to bring levity. This week is better emotionally. Second week in a row actually. Ah sweet relief with my new eff everything attitude. Fourth week in a row that we walked every morning. Outside we’re still burning. In fact in San Antone the Rona is spiking so much so we all got this alert last night …

Back to shelter in place. If this is all a hoax as some still maintain, I’d rather be looked at as foolish. Why take chances? We didn’t let Lulu go on a family trip with the BF. First she was angry, then she was sad. Rightfully so because the whole acceptance thing feels fleeting. No one wants to be odd one out. This alert made her feel better about our choice. Though not going still sucks. Oh to be young and in love but six feet apart. All the while his siblings throw caution to the wind. Boo hoo :(. Anyway, enough maudlin talk. Gotta quit the day drinkin’. Okay, are we ready for a re-cap?

Sunday #SLS in da house and Jim have us Mary/Marie/Maria. I picked this #SLS for 6/21/20. The wonderful Mr. Petty. RIP while your music continues to bring joy. Aaahhhh now that’s the stuff.

Monday was Haiku Change & Face plus Share Your World. Fun to remember my dear friend Lisa Anne. Boy I’ve had a good life!!! Lots of laughter. Tuesday was about wearing underwear on your face. Wednesday was this corny one liner. Every Wednesday, I will keep hocking the silly even if it gets old. Thursday was about snakes and Friday was bringing the light. The Saturday capstone flirty fun with #SoCS. Some of my favorites were about milkshakes and falling from heaven with a sweet story. If you don’t join in with the Linda G Hill gang on Saturdays, you don’t know what you’re missing. Maybe try it for the 4th of July?!??!?!

Peace y’all. Until next time. Stay safe.

As always, more to come.

#SLS for 6/28/20

Published on June 28, 2020June 27, 2020 by J-Dub31 Comments

Today Jim gives us Cool/Freeze/Heat/Melt. Nice! I can definitely work with that. I’m stuck in the 80s ultimately landing on “Freeze-Frame” written by Seth Justman and Peter Wolf for The J. Geils Band.

I still remember parts of a dance routine that we learned for this song. Our outfits were splattered painters pants with neon green, pink, or orange tank tops. Our dance teacher borrowed heavily from this video for costuming. At the end, we made pyramids too just no paint. Cheesy but good times I tell ya!

Without further ado, here is the video:

Freeze frame

I could see it was a rough-cut Tuesday
Slow-motion weekdays stare me down
Her lipstick reflex got me wound
There were no defects to be found
Snapshot image froze without a sound

Thursday morning was a hot-flash factor
Her face still focused in my mind
Doo-dloo-dloo
Test-strip proofsheet love is hard to find

Doo-dloo-dloo
Friday night, we danced the spotlight grind
Doo-dloo-dloo
Stop time heart for me if she’s not mine

Freeze frame, freeze frame
Freeze frame, freeze frame
Freeze frame, freeze frame
Freeze frame, whoo, and I freeze

Now I’m looking at a flashback Sunday
Zoom lens feeling just won’t disappear
Doo-dloo-dloo
Close up, dark room, sweet talk in my ear

Doo-dloo-dloo
Her hot-spot love for me is strong
Doo-dloo-dloo
This freeze-frame moment can’t be wrong

Freeze frame, freeze frame
Freeze frame, freeze frame
Freeze frame, freeze frame
Freeze frame, whoo, and I freeze

Shoot, shoot – doo-dloo-dloo
Shoot, shoot – doo-dloo-dloo
Shoot, shoot – doo-dloo-dloo

Freeze frame, freeze frame
Freeze frame, freeze frame
Freeze frame, freeze frame
Freeze frame, whoo, and I freeze

Yeah

Freeze frame, oh yeah, freeze frame
If I could freeze frame, freeze frame, freeze frame
If I could freeze, she’s real, whoo, freeze frame
If I could freeze, she’s ahhh, freeze frame
If I could shoot, shoot – doo-dloo-dloo, freeze frame
If I could shoot, shoot – doo-dloo-dloo, freeze frame

Rules and Ping Back

#SoCS ~ 6/27/20

Published on June 27, 2020June 26, 2020 by J-Dub11 Comments

Hola a todos mis amigos. #SoCS has rolled around once again. On tap for today the lovely Linda gives us the following:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “coffee, tea, or me.” Find a flirty phrase of your own or use “coffee, tea, or me” in your post. Have fun!

Ha! Well I gave up coffee and tea (the way I like it) is too much trouble to make but I do enjoy a cuppa when it’s cold outside. Except right not it’s summer time and the living is easy. Now it is Jilly? We’re in a freaking pandemic. In the midst of a spike. That’s hard not easy. The re-open phase has stalled here in Texas. I never fully participated in the re-open anyway. I was shelter in place even when not required. And again, I realize I am beyond blessed to have that option. Countless others are not as fortunate.

Okay here we go. The prompt “coffee, tea, or me” makes me think of a stewardess. I think this was a book or a movie. Some rom-com from the 70s but that’s pure conjecture. Or maybe a cigarette girl. You know the ones that walked through the speakeasy offering cigars, cigarettes, or candy to wealthy patrons hoping to get big tips. Or Mae West’s famous “why don’t you come up sometime and see me?”. Or Melanie Griffith as Tess McGill in “Working Girl” saying “I have a head for business and a body for sin”. So many flirty quotes, so little time.

Guess I’ll call it. Time to mask it up and go out into the middle of nowhere to take graduation pictures. Yep, Lulu Belle is almost done. The big day is 8/8/20 but of course commencement ceremonies are back on hold. Still making the most of this milestone.

As always, more to come.

If you’d like to play along here are the rules and ping back.

#WATWB ~ 6/26/20

Published on June 26, 2020June 25, 2020 by J-Dub5 Comments

With Father’s Day this past Sunday, I’m feeling nostalgic and missing my dad. The following story is about Rob Kenney who understands what it’s like to grow up without a father. In turn he’s helping others with his fatherly advice. ❤️

Dad, How Do I?

This month’s co-hosts, Sylvia McGrath, Susan Scott, Shilpa Garg, Damyanti Biswas, and Belinda Witzenhausen, welcome participants and encourage all to join in during future months. #WATWB is a blog hop on the last Friday of every month.

#WATWB intention and rules. In darkness, be light 💡 As always more to come.

Questions:

Gratitude: