THANKSGIVING, 2013

HAPPY

I found this somewhere on the Internet very early this morning on a "hot and sexy" women website. So far, this is beating-out the other reader-submitted entries, thanks to guys like me. This is one well-done, "good-eatin'" turkey---Enjoy! But it doesn't come with Stuffing and Gravy; you take care of that yourself. LOL

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THANKSGIVING!!!

Thursday, February 28ht, 2013

*

TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE, R ( 2 hr & 14 min )

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I went to see this yesterday, Monday, November 11th, 2013, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO, for the 3:35 p.m. show in auditorium 8, 5th row ( counting from the front ), 10th column ( counting from the left ). The price of admission was $10.25 ( I forgot that it was a holiday, Veterans' Day, and matinee shows ended at 1:00 p.m. ).

Quickie Review: Years before the Civil War, a free black man from New York is sold into slavery. Over the next twelve years, he learns to do what he needs to do just to survive in the hope that he will once again be reunited with his family.

The audience was captivated by it, as was I.

This movie might get an Oscar nod.

Two scenes which were graphically disturbing were the ones of a man hanged from a tree and a woman whipped mercilessly over a small bar of soap! Please don't take your young ones to see this movie.

Students of History will do well to see this movie.

What fascinated me about this movie that depicts this Great Nation's morally reprehensible past was that it was "told" through the eyes of a man who suffered through such gross inequity, how a fellow human being was treated like disposable property at the mercy of a cruel and abusive "owner's" capriciousness.

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Now that I'm back from vacation, I will have to revert to doing quickie reviews unless a particular movie calls for the use of my standard format movie review. Since I have other, more pressing, matters to attend to. And I shan't be blogging about very movie that I go see.

Happy belated Veterans' Day! 

If you love your freedom, thank a Vet!
( I found this on the Internet )

*

THOR: THE DARK WORLD, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 51 min )

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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Thursday ( THOR'S DAY ), November 7th, 2013
show: 3:15 p.m. to 9:51 p.m. ( 6 hours and 36 minutes Marathon )
costs: $25.00 Ticket + $7.50 large Popcorn w/ Butter ( w/ free Kettle Corn Refill ) + $0.00 medium 30 oz Powerade Mountain Berry Blast + $4.50 medium 30 oz Fruit Punch ) = $37.00
auditorium: 2
seat: 6th row ( counting from the front ), 7th column ( counting from the left )

2nd time

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where: AMC METREON 16 in San Francisco, CA
when: Friday, November 8th, 2013
show: 5:15 p.m.
costs: $12.50 Ticket + $1.04 16.9 oz 7-11 Water ( bought at the 7-11 on 217 Sutter Street and smuggled-in ) + $3.25 Pork and Salted Egg Zongzi ( bought at the Eastern Bakery in Chinatown and smuggled-in ) + $8.59 2-entree Fried Chicken Drumsticks and Fried Garlic Rice ( at Inay's Fast Food Pilipino Restaurant at the AMC Metreon Ground Floor Level ) after the movie + $8.20 BART Train Ticket + $5.00 Carquinez Bridge Toll ( on the way home to Vallejo, CA ) = $38.58
auditorium: 15, on the 3rd floor
seat: 4th row ( counting from the front ), 13th column ( counting from the left )

3rd time:

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Faifield, CA
when: Sunday, November 10th, 2013
show: 9:00 p.m. I-Max 3-D
costs: $18.00 Ticket + $11.83 dinner @ Hometown Buffet before the movie = $29.83
auditorium: 12, with the I-Max screen
seat: 5th row ( counting from the front ), 5th seat ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview: Over a millenia ago, Odin's ( Anthony Hopkins ) father, Bor ( Tony Curran? ), defeated an Evil Elf, Malekith ( Christopher Ecccleston ), and his army in the dark world of Svartalfheim. In retreat, Malekith vowed to get his revenge and plunge all of the Nine Realms into Darkness. When a rare 5,000-year cycle cosmological event called "Convergence" starts to re-align all Nine Realms, an unwitting and unlikely host of the Evil Ether ( the source of Malekith's power ) reawakens the dormant Malekith. As all the Realms fall in danger of being conquered by Malekith and plunged into total darkness, Thor ( Chris Hemsworth ) and his human friends must put their collective trust in his brother, Loki ( Tom Hiddleston ), to help them put an end to Malekith's evil plan.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Dark elves; 2.) Birthright; 3.) "Perhaps, next time we should start with the big one"; 4.) Awkward lunch date; 5.) Stonehenge; 6.) "I haven't seen anything like this since ... New Mexico"; 7.) Car keys; 8.) Teleported; 9.) "I can't see her"; 10.) "You were gone for five hours"; 11.) Rain; 12.) Slaps; 13.) Explosion; 14.) "Quantum Field Generator"; 15.) "You told him about me"; 16.) "It's defending itself"; 17.) "The last of the Kursed"; 18.) "Convergence"; 19.) Prison break; 20.) "It's only because I worry over you that you've survived"; 21.) Stealth attack; 22.) "I will have what is mine"; 23.) "We are all but defenseless"; 24.) "No more illusions"; 25.) "Brother, you look ravishing"; 26.) "I can feel the patriotism surging"; 27.) "That was for New York"; 28.) "Evidently, it won't be a lie"; 29.) "I am pressing it gently"; 30.) "The aether has found its way home"; 31.) "Trust my rage"; 32.) "This is getting weird now"; 33.) Starlings; 34.) The trick; 35.) "I didn't do it for him"; 35.) 'Phone call; 36.) Portal; 37.) Coat rack; 38.) Underwear; 39.) Greenwich; 40.) "What the hell just happened"; 41.) Teleportation fights; 42.) Train; 43.) "No, thank you"; 44.) Bonus Scene during the Ending Credits; and 45.) Two Bonus Scenes after the Ending Credits.

audience reaction: The audience liked it and gave it a Hands Clapper ending.

2nd audience reaction: This San Francisco audience liked it even more and gave it a Hands Clapper ending as well as Hands Clapper scenes! And a man seated in the row behind mine who claimed to be an "avid movie buff" said to the two ladies with whom he had a chat, "I give it a B +." To which, one of the ladies followed with, "It is definitely a solid B +!"

Both group of audiences liked Stan Lee's cameo scene with the shoe. And the audiences totally enjoyed the scene with Loki in his various disguises as he tried to annoy his brother, Thor.

And during the Ending Credits, the San Francisco audience clapped their hands when Tom Hiddleston and Rene Russo's names were shown in the Cast of Characters. They also clapped their hands after the Ending Credits when Thor reunited with Jane ( Natalie Portman ), and when the Frost Monster from Jotunheim was shown chasing after a flock of birds.

3rd audience reaction: This Fairfield crowd was essentially clueless! 'Not enough reaction from this bunch.

recommendation: I liked it. Go see this movie.

spoiler alert! In a war or battle, Technology has an upper hand on Strategy. In this case, in the battle at Vanaheim, the bad guys had bolt-shooting "rifles" that could have given them an unfair advantage had they shot at the defenders from a distance since they had the "reach" advantage. Speaking of the battle scene in Vanaheim, Sif ( Jaimie Alexander ) didn't follow through with her sword after she blocked an enemy's attack. It's rather unfair that an American ( i.e. Jane ) was depicted as having no modicum of social propriety when in the presence of royalty--and divine royalty, at that! Exactly how long does it take to eat a slice of bread? Darcy ( Kat Dennings ) was still chewing on some bread when Jane decided to join her in her red Volvo station wagon. The prison didn't have toilets and showers! Why didn't Asgard have an outer perimeter defense? Why did none of the starlings fly up Darcy's skirt ( I pose this question from a logical standpoint, not from that of perversity )? When no blood gushed from the cut-off limb, that should have tipped the Dark Elves into thinking that something was amiss! When the aether started to float in the air, Thor could have twirled Mjolnir fast enough to generate a tornado and carry the aether to a safe, far away distance in outer space and blasted it again with a bolt of lightning! When the Kursed deflected Thor's hammer, why couldn't Thor get it back---Was it because Mjolnir got knocked unconscious by the strike? Since Thor is not only the God of Thunder but is also a master weather manipulator in any Realm, why wasn't he able to control the dust storm in Svartalfheim? Dr. Selvig ( Stellan Skarsgard ) mentioned that ancient peoples from Europe, Asia and The Americas left archaeological structures to mark the previous convergence; but such structures were not all built at approximately the same time and, therefore, would not have documented the same event! And you would think that the Frost Monster from Jotunheim would have already been chased and surrounded by the police and the military instead of being allowed to chase after birds unhindered.

Had Odin used this ( see accompanying photo below ) to keep watch over his people, the Dark Elves would have been readily distracted while in flight and would've had all of their spaceships shot-down or accidentally crashed! Ha, ha, ha.

Asgard's "Ass Guardian" keeping watch over everybody---Bottoms up! Up and away! Ha, ha, ha. I found this on somebody's Facebook page. Someone who I thought was the oldest brother of my brother-in-law in Michigan. But, how fortuitous--I was really meant to find this while doing my blog for this movie!!!

fyi: "... (T)he earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep ...." Genesis 1: 2, Old Testament Of The Bible.

There is an odd rare phenomenon called, "Point (?) Rainfall," which is exactly just the opposite of what's shown in an early scene in this movie. It is so rare that it is not described in most scientific journals. Basically, it is rain that falls on just a very small area while the surrounding areas remain dry.

Please re-read my blog on THOR ( May, 2011 ) to understand why the scenes with Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, shouldn't have worked!

word of advice: A mother's love and sacrifice speak volumes.

tidbits: The movie audiences seemed to all be rooting for the anti-hero, Loki, instead!

I had my very first marathon event when I went to see this on Thursday ( Thor's Day ). For THOR 1, the first movie, I had Buttered Popcorn and Powerade Mountain Berry Blast. For THE AVENGERS, the second movie, I had Kettle Corn and Fruit Punch. For THOR: THE DARK WORLD, the third and final movie, I just had a cup of drinking fountain water because I had my fill of Popcorn and Kettle Corn by then; besides, they didn't allow for a third refill ( what a rip-off )!

By the way, I had to empty my bladder before seeing this marathon. I used the first toilet stall---And, boy! did it stink like hell!!! It smelled like the last person to use it smeared his poop all over the door and walls of the stall! I was just glad that my sense of smell was nowhere close to that of a scent hound or I would have dropped dead from the stench!

2nd tidbits: Well, my vacation is coming to an end. Yup! I spent my vacation blogging about my vacation from two years ago! Ha, ha, ha.

Anyway ....

I went to my workplace in Benicia, CA, to pick up my vacation cheque. But, wouldn't you know it, they forgot to issue me a paycheque! They must think that I work for free!!! This is exactly why I have to budget my spending money. Luckily for me, I had a contract bonus cheque waiting for me; it was just half the amount of my usual pay but it would have to do until I get paid for my vacation.

'Time for some "Financial Stretching Exercises!" Oh, boy! I'm expecting to get a great work-out this whole week. Ha, ha, ha.

After I cashed my contract bonus cheque, I went to the nearby MacDonald's Restaurant on East 2nd Street to do a bit of blogging while I waited for the time for me to leave for San Francisco, CA.

I left my car in the parking garage at the El Cerrito Del Norte BART Train Station and boarded a San Francisco-bound train.

I got off at the Montgomery BART Station and went to the 7-11 on Sutter Street to buy a bottle of water as I was thirsty. Then, I walked on up to Chinatown via Grant Avenue.

As I passed by a tourist shop in Chinatown, three white teen-age girls were comforting a little white girl who was standing outside the store and sobbing. The little girl couldn't find her mother. How irresponsible was that?!?!?! Kids get kidnapped, raped, sold into slavery, killed and/or have their organs harvested in all parts of the world, even here! That mother needs to be seriously reprimanded!

When I got to the corner of Grant Avenue and Clay Street, I turned left and walked up the hill to search for a restaurant that a Chinese co-worker recommended. I found the restaurant, Capital Chinese Restaurant. Their prices were reasonable. Yet, since I was on a strict budget, I forewent dining at the place.

But the main reason why I went to Chinatown was to search for the Buddhist Nun who I encountered last April. I wanted to donate $60.00 to her monastery because of the money that I found a few nights ago. But I couldn't find the Nun; I looked around to see if I could spot a Buddhist Monk--no such luck! Next time, I will come back here in the morning. If I don't come across either a Nun or a Monk by then, I will just go to their monastery and donate the money there.

On my way to the AMC Metreon, I came upon an old Chinese street musician ( and Tai Chi master? ) playing his instrument on the sidewalk next to the Old Saint Mary's Catholic Church. I put 50 cents in his instrument case.

As I sat in the 4th row in AMC Metreon's auditorium 15, I soon realized that the row was a main thoroughfare. I will have to sit someplace else next time I find myself in this auditorium.

I had a light dinner after the movie at the ground floor level as I updated this blog.

When I got back in Vallejo, CA, I had a craving for some ice cream and dessert. I stopped at the Safeway Supermarket on Admiral Callaghan Lane to buy a Tres Leches Strawberry Parfait and a container of Mango Sherbet. But the couple ahead in line of me at the check-out line had a shopping cart full of groceries. I just put back my two items and left.

Then, I went to the Food Maxx Supermarket across the freeway on the corner of Toulumne and Redwood Streets to buy a close-out snack-size pack of Taleen Japanese Style Peanuts, Strawberry Parfait and Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream. I paid $5.21 total for my purchase.

3rd tidbits: As I was about to enter the Edwards Fairfield Stadium 16 & I-Max theatre, a white teenager asked me if I could spare him $2.00 because he was short on money for a ticket purchase. I asked him what movie he was gonna see. He said that he and his two buddies were there to see BAD GRANDPA. I told him that I will give him the $2.00 if he followed me inside to the box office so I could see him using the money to actually pay for a ticket. He declined. I think he just wanted to scam me. And I just saved me a couple of bucks---Hey! I'm on a tight budget, after all.

*

MAN OF TAI CHI, NR ( 1 hr & 45 min )

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I went to see this on Sunday, November 3rd, 2013, in Emeryville, CA, at the AMC BAY STREET 16, for the 7:00 p.m. show in auditorium 16, 4th row ( counting from the front ), 6th column ( counting from the left ). The price of admission was $12.00. And I bought a 4.75 oz frozen Junior Mints for $4.25 at the concessions counter. After the movie, I used a validation ticket to pay for my parking in the parking garage; I paid the discounted cost of $1.50. And I paid $5.00 at the Carquinez Toll Bridge on my way home to Vallejo, CA.

Quickie Review: A Tai Chi stylist, the last student of a particular kind of Tai Chi, gets involved in an underworld of lucrative kill-or-be-killed fight tournaments when he realizes that there is no other way for him to stop the demolition of his master's temple unless he fights for money.

The audience liked this movie. One even said, "That was pretty cool!" Go see this if you're into Martial Arts movies.

I liked it enough--I would've liked it better if I didn't know Tai Chi! Just like how two sports commentator characters in this movie observed, this style of Tai Chi is bogus!

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I practiced Tai Chi from 1974 until 1976. I learned the "For Health" style of Tai Chi; you know, the style that you see "old farts" perform at a park. One time, I got into an argument with a co-worker who said that Tai Chi was a form of Martial Art. I said that it wasn't so--of course, I was speaking from the position of someone who practiced, and only knew, the "For Health" style of Tai Chi.

It wasn't until years later when I found out that there is, indeed, a "secret" Martial Art form of Tai Chi. And it is a very deceptively quick and really scary-deadly form of Martial Art!!! It is so scary-deadly that it was eventually banned from competitions in China because the combatants would easily get themselves killed or maimed for life--most got killed--"accidentally" or intentionally. But this form is readily distinguishable from the "For Health" form of Tai Chi: It employs a different stance.

Now, for a little story on the reason for the development of Martial Art Tai Chi ....

Once upon a time, a Kung Fu Master observed quite realistically that if he trained in Martial Arts the way that he was taught, and that if he were to continue on training like so, he would eventually become a crippled "old fart" through repetitive-stress injuries! So, Kung Fu Master Blake Mai Han ( for lack of a better [ or real ] name ) decided to modify his forms so that they would be "soft" and graceful and yet still be relied upon in a fight. Through  constant training in the slow and proper execution of movements, his arsenal of strikes and counter-strikes became instinctively ingrained into his muscle memory and became deliverable in quick fluid motions with a minimal expenditure of energy--perfect for an "old fart!" At first, he was gonna name the style, Tu Kwik Fol Yu ( again, for lack of a better name ); but, in the end, he just named it simply, "Martial Art" Tai Chi.

This form of Martial Art Tai Chi relies strictly on open-hand strikes ( imagine how embarrassing it would be for you to get yourself bitch-slapped by a tiny and skinny "old fart" ) and low kicks--unlike what you see in this movie! But the attack and counter-attack moves are hella quick ( blinding speed! ) with minimal expenditure of energy--remember, it was designed to be employed by "old-fart" Martial Art Tai Chi Masters--and we all know that anyone gets tired really fast in a fight! But these "old-fart" Martial Art Tai Chi Masters don't get tired easily in a fight and could easily take on multiple attackers because their style of Tai Chi was invented and developed with energy-conservation in mind.

And, as if that's not enough, Martial Art Tai Chi was also designed to target multiple pressure points on the opponent's body simultaneously! In a sense, it is like Dim-Mak Death Touch Martial Art. The difference is that Dim-Mak Death Touches are usually delivered one pressure point at a time. Whereas, in Martial Art Tai Chi, a master stylist can hit many of his opponent's pressure points all at the same time, insuring a quick-kill or instant knock-out at the start of a fight!!! Did you read that? At The Start Of A Fight!!! Yes. 'Just like I said, less expenditure of energy is at the core of this martial art.

Do you remember what I said in my blog on THE GRANDMASTER ( 2013 ), back in September, the part where I said that I could feel the chi of an old Tai Chi Master from a good distance? Well, because of my sensitivity to the natural flow of chi through my years of meditating, I can tell pretty much which "old fart" Tai Chi Master I can readily beat-up and which one I have to run away from! Ha, ha, ha.

And that is why Tiger Chen's Tai Chi Master in this movie urged him to keep up with his meditation, to scare the crap out of guys like me! LOL

Anyway, aside from Tai Chi, I also practiced Combat ( not Sports ) Karate, Judo, Aikido, Arnis ( all from 1974 - 1975 ), a little bit of Kung Fu ( 1976 ), Wrestling ( 1977 - 1978; 1982 - 1983 ), Fencing ( 1980 ) and Jujitsu ( 1984 ). I would like to take up Boxing, someday soon, and maybe even MMA. But, in my "old fart" years, I will be sure to get back to Tai Chi--but I'll do the Martial Art Tai Chi next time around.

Why did I take-up each martial art for just a short period? INJURIES, mostly. I injured my fingers and toes doing Combat Karate. I dislocated my left shoulder, my tail bone, and my left ankle while wrestling. I sprained my left knee playing football and, years later, in a bicycle accident. I sprained both wrists, dislocated my back, and injured my kidneys when I was bodybuilding. I re-injured my back in a diving accident. I dislocated my right shoulder in a swimming accident. I re-injured both shoulders while I was bodybuilding. I dislocated my right hip while saving the ball in a game of basketball. I smashed the middle carpal bone of my right middle finger at work. And I broke my left collar bone ( according to my physician )--I don't know how that one happened or when it happened!

I will take-up Boxing later if what I read somewhere is true: That if a person becomes near-sighted early in life, he/she will regain normal vision later on in life---I'm still impatiently waiting for that to happen!

By the way, if you want to take-up Tai Chi for its health benefits, DON'T! Do Qi Gong instead. And based on my experience and observable results from practicing Qi Gong, I highly recommend that you do the "10-minute Qi Gong"; it is done in the morning and early in the evening, facing the rising and the setting suns. The name of this "10-minute Qi Gong" is Magnetic Qi Gong. You can find it on the Internet. To your HEALTH!!!

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Watching this movie and the one before it, KRISSH 3, was made possible by the $60.00 that I found in the parking lot a few days ago! Yeah, I still feel bad about not being able to return it to its rightful owner. And since I'm on a budget, finding the $60.00 only means that I am that much over-budget.

So, in a few days, I will go to the Chinatown in San Francisco, CA, and see if I can find that Buddhist Nun once again, the one I blogged about back in April of this year. I will donate $60.00 to her monastery. It's the right thing to do, being that I'm a 1st-Stage Yogi.

*

KRISSH 3, NR ( 2 hr & 32 min )

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I went to see this yesterday, Sunday, November 3rd, 2013, in Emeryville, CA, at the UA EMERY BAY STADIUM 10, for the 3:10 p.m. show in auditorium 4, 7th row ( counting from the front ), 11th column ( counting from the left ). The price of admission was $10.00. I paid a $1.00 upgrade-to-a-medium on a free small Popcorn ( a movie watcher rewards card treat ) and I bought a small 32.0 oz cup of Pink Lemonade for $4.75 at the concessions counter.

Quickie Review: In this last sequel of a trilogy ( ? )--I didn't see parts 1 and 2--Krissh ( Hrithik Roshan ) has defeated the bad guy and has saved his father, Rohit ( Hrithik, in a dual role ), from death. He is happily married to his expectant wife, Priya ( Priyanka Chopra ), while his father does his best to contributed to the betterment of mankind through his research as a brilliant scientist. But unbeknownst to them, a more nefarious genius is hard at work with the aim of annihilating all of humankind and replacing them with his own humanoid creations.

The audience liked this movie. I liked this movie, too. Go see this if you're a fan of the first two ( 2 ) installments ) and/or you're into superhero movies.

This Bollywood movie borrows many elements from Hollywood superhero movies. To wit:

1. Alien source of superpowers as in The Green Lantern.
2. Inhuman speed as in The Flash.
3. Watching over the city at night on top of a construction crane as in Spider Man.
4. Jumping around before gaining the ability to fly as in the recent Superman movie.
5. Obtrusive references to The X-Men.

Of course, it is all done with a Bollywood twist. But, even then, the references are noticeable even to a casual observer. It still is a good enough movie to go see, though.

The one thing that I didn't like about this movie was when the bad girl, Kaya ( Kangana Raut ), got second thoughts about her mission then went on to do a "song-and-dance" number. I think some other folks in the audience found that scene amusing, too, but not in a good way!

And speaking of Kaya, her Chameleon character in a tight leather outfit is no match for the X-Men's Mystique in her body-paint suit---Yes!!!

I still contend that Hrithik Roshan is a Bollywood Actor that Hollywood is waiting to discover! Now, about that extra right thumb of his ....

Here are some things that I found wrong in this movie: You cannot neatly-slice a loaf of bread using a French Chef Knife--you need a Serrated Bread Knife ( it's called a Bread Knife for one good reason )! I don't think that the Chameleon lizard is native to India. The police and the reporters arrived too quickly at the scene where the bad guy, Kaala ( Vivek Oberoi ), made his public appearance.

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On Saturday, I learned the hard way that I should have been using a mouse all along with my laptop! In the middle of blogging about my 2011 vacation, the left-click and right-click on my Compaq Presario laptop's touchpad stopped working. I was at the MacDonald's in the Target Shopping Center here in Vallejo, CA, when it happened. 

I thought that I just needed to reboot my computer.

So, I drove on over to the Starbucks Coffee Shop at the opposite end of the shopping center to see if my touchpad would work by then. Nope, it was still non-operational.

On the plus side, I went to the nearby Dollar Tree Store to do a little bargain shopping and to diffuse my frustration. I bought a Rob Schneider DVD, THE CHOSEN ONE; and since they had yellow computer keyboards for just a buck each, I bought two!

This normally retailed for 24 bucks plus tax. This is just what I need for my almost "old-fart" eyes! Ha, ha, ha. And it's water-repellent. 

When I stepped out onto the parking lot after I bought my stuff, I noticed something odd in an empty parking space: A MacDonald's mayonnaise condiment packet, the like of which I hadn't seen before.

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I bent down to take a closer look. That was when I noticed something folded into thirds about a foot ( 30.48 cm ) away from it. Three neatly-folded together $20.00 bills! Since the area where I found it at was empty of people, I picked it up. Honestly, I felt bad about not being able to return the money to its rightful owner because it was probably someone who had just finished shopping at the bargain store--and no one who's rich shops at a dollar store. Left with no other choice and rationalizing that I was meant to find the money, I just put it in my wallet and thanked God for the token of abundance.

Then, I went to the nearby Safeway Supermarket to buy a $20.00 top-up card for my Tracfone cellphone.

And I stopped at the Food Maxx Supermarket on the other side of the freeway to buy another 12-pack of Charmin Basic toilet paper.

When I got home, I used the mouse that Hector's son, Isma, gave me last year. It worked! I was back to left-clicking and right-clicking once again. The mouse even has a scroll feature to make things easier for me.

But now I'm worried because my Acer C7 Chromebook laptop also has a touchpad. I think that I'll buy a mouse for it.

note: I went to see ENDER'S GAME on Thursday--Yup! Halloween--of last week at the CENTURY SAN FRANCISCO CENTRE 9 AND X-D for the 8:00 p.m. Advanced Screening. But I decided not to blog about it because the whole thing was preposterous! I mean, they were up against Giant "Ants" from Another Planet! One thing I learned in Anthropology is that you need opposable thumbs to make extremely complex and/or delicate structures--something that these "Ants" didn't have. And what was up with all of the Judo moves that they had to learn to prepare themselves for hand-to-"hand" combat with the Giant "Ants"--why didn't they just train in the proper use of industrial-strength Bug Spray?!?!?! But this is just I talking--and signing-off!



p. s. About Halloween time in San Francisco, CA .... I was so looking forward to seeing a bunch of revelers out-on-the-town in their gayly ( hah! ) colored costumes. I was gonna take pictures of them, but I only saw a few dressed in Halloween costumes, ones that weren't worth taking pictures of.

Speaking of Halloween costume ....

While at the North Berkeley BART Train Station, in Berkeley, CA, on my way to San Francisco, a young lad stepped onto the BART train with a horse mask on. I was gonna call out, Hey, are you hung like a horse, and is that why you've got a horse mask on? But he might have dared me to an "I'll-show-you-mine-if-you-show-me-yours" challenge. Ha, ha, ha. But, seriously though, I'm endowed like a horse---That is, if we're talking about a horse no bigger than a fetus. Bwah, ha, ha, ha, ha---Snort! Why am I laughing ...?


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VACATION TIME, MICHIGAN/INDIANA, SEPTEMBER, 2011

VACATION TIME, MICHIGAN/INDIANA, 9-'11

Arrgh!  All the pictures that I took on my first week of vacation, and some on my second week of vacation, somehow got auto-deleted by my camera!  'Sucks .... And as if that was not bad enough, I lost my travel notes, too!!! My first week's worth of photos had some pictures of the Amish Folks in Indiana which I took without asking for their permission first; my sister did tell me not to take pictures of the Amish people. But, did I listen ...? No. Which is probably why I lost the first week of  vacation photos along with my travel notes---An Amish witch put a hex on me and my camera! So, my vacation photos begin with those that I took on Sunday, September 4th, 2011. I hope that you'll enjoy looking through my photos.

This is a picnic area at Summit Park overlooking Lake Michigan.  It is less than a mile away from Bortell's Fisheries, in Ludington, where people go to to buy raw, smoked or fried fish. I don't know who these people are.

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Bortell's Fisheries, Ludington, Michigan. I found this on the Internet.

a

This is the ferry to take, here in Ludington,  to get from Michigan to Wisconsin across Lake Michigan.

b

This is the back entrance to Kilwin's Chocolate and Fudge Shop, in Ludington, Michigan, where we stopped to buy fudge and get directions to the local tourist spot shown in a recent movie. That is my brother-in-law and my niece that you see entering through the doorway.

Do you remember this recent movie?

This movie, 30 MINUTES OR LESS, was filmed in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  But the bank robbery scene was filmed at this now-closed bank in Ludington, Michigan, the Ludington State Bank on the corner of James and Loomis.

c

d

This is one of two super stores in the Michigan area, the other one being Super Wal-Mart. I forget where it is at.

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This is one of Lewis' Farm Market and Petting Farm critters ( I wonder if it tastes like chicken ).  It is just roaming around the parking lot. This farm is in New Era, Michigan, on Stony Lake Road.

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New for this year:  Admission price for the Petting Farm! 'Sucks ....

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I don't know what happened to this Peacock's tail.  It had a nice, long tail last year.

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This pizza place, The Pizza Factory, is in Shelby, Michigan, on North Michigan Avenue.  My sister comes by here a lot for some take-out dinner to take to the cottage.

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My sister and I stopped off here at the Country Dairy on South 80th Avenue, New Era, Michigan, before we headed back to her cottage at Stony Lake, to buy some Mookies & Cream Ice Cream and a loaf of Donkey Doo Bread w/ Pecans.  This is a dairy store and restaurant where they serve beef from old cows that don't produce milk anymore.  I don't know about you, but the whole thing sounds cruel and barbaric to me: Killing and eating cows because they can't produce milk anymore; it's like killing and eating your employees because they can't work anymore!

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Slightly to the left-of-center in this picture of Stony Lake is a bridge that's barely visible.  If you get in a canoe, raft or inner tube and paddle your way under this bridge then have the creek's current carry you along its meandering course, you will end-up in Lake Michigan less than an hour later. Yup, I did it once--and I'd like to do it again.

This is my sister's paddle-wheel raft. To the left of the floating dock was my sister's pontoon boat. It was dry-docked because it was encrusted with Zebra Mussels, an invasive species. You could see the Zebra Mussels in the shoreline water. There are more Zebra Mussels here than there are stones! They should rename this lake, Zebra Lake!

This is similar to my sister's pontoon boat. I got this on the Internet.

These are Zebra Mussels ( 'found this picture on the Internet ). They are tiny, just about half-an-inch ( 1.27 cm ) long. But do they ever proliferate like horny rabbits! All the Great Lakes, not just Lake Michigan, are infested with them. I wish that there was a way of harvesting them for human consumption and/or for fish bait!

This is at the opposite end of the lake from the one which shows the bridge.

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Ah, the long walk up the hill from the lake on a slippery, moss-covered road.

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The in-laws of somebody famous, a TV personality, own this lake cottage. Scroll down a bit to find out who I'm talking about.

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This is Do It Best Hardware Store here at Stony Lake where my brother-in-law and I stopped by to get some stuff.

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This is the guest house at Al Capone's ( famous Chicago gangster from the '20s ) vacation home here at Stony Lake, Michigan.

Al Capone. I got this on the Internet.

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This is Al Capone's vacation home on a hill overlooking Lake Michigan.  It was undergoing some restoration work.

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This is Lake Michigan, just down the hill from Al Capone's vacation home.  The water was  cold and the waves  were too choppy for anybody to risk going in for a swim and getting caught in the undertow.

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This is Stony Creek meandering on its way from Stony Lake to Lake Michigan.

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Another shot of Stony Creek from the bridge.  Lake Michigan is shown far in the horizon.  Actually, Lake Michigan is less than  200 yards ( 182.88 metres ) from this spot.

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This is in the town of Hart, Michigan. The locals were having a Pig Roast. But, I ask you, What is a Pig Roast without Ketchup or, better still, Lechon Sauce and/or Banana Catsup? The next time that I visit, I will be sure to bring a case of Banana Catsup and Lechon Sauce to hand out to all of the diners! By the way, the time-stamp on this and on previous and subsequent photos are wrong ( the p.m. should have been an a.m. ) because I kept forgetting ( "Senior Moment" ) to change the time whenever it came time to replace the batteries.

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Lechon Sauce. I found this on the Internet.

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Banana Catsup. I found this on the Internet.

Please don't ask me to post a picture of Tomato Ketchup. You all know what that looks like!

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That is my brother-in-law and my niece to left-of- center of the picture. To the far left ( the black-colored object ) is one of about half-a-dozen Barbecue Pig Roasters. To the right, you see people filing to get inside the Mudget Community Pavilion ( circa 1993 ) for some sit-down meal of Roasted Pig, Potato Salad, Macaroni Salad, Bread and Cold Drinks--but where's a Bowl of Steamed Rice when you need it?

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This is the old one-room school, Randall School ( circa 1876 ), here in the town of Hart, Michigan. The windows that you see to either side of the doorway are those of the restrooms: Girls' on the left, Boys' on the right.

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This is the Sackrider Church ( circa 1897 ), in the town of Hart, MI, with a Native American Museum basement, near the one-room school and the pig-roast pavilion.

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This and the following pictures are of the nearby Hart Historic Museum.

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This log cabin ( circa 1858 ) once belonged to Chief Cobmoosa of the Ottawa Native American tribe. This cabin is pretty much just a rectangular "box" with a fireplace, a small desk, a chair and, on a raised platform to one side of the cabin and partitioned by a curtain, a wooden bed. I'm sorry that I forgot to take shots of the interior. Outside, to the left of the door, is a hand water pump. To the right of the cabin--not shown in the photo--is an outhouse--imaging needing to use the toilet in the deep of winter in sub-zero temperature ( you'd be pee-peeing ice cubes and pooping popsicles---LOL )!

Chief Cobmoosa. I found this on the Internet. He kinda looks like the Hollywood actor, Cliff Curtis--and they even have the same initials! Go figure ....

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Cliff Curtis. I found this on the Internet.

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This is close to Chief Cobmoosa's cabin. I forget what it is.

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That's my sister's backside that you see walking further away. The pavilion in the background is where we sat down for some Pig-Roast meal sans Ketchup, Banana Catsup and/or Lechon Sauce--I'll be sure to bring some next time.

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This is a friendly cat across the street from the church and community pavilion. It was sitting outside a blacksmith's shop greeting visitors and tourists.

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This is Scott Lankton's blacksmith's shop ( renovated in 1980 ), here in Hart, Michigan, in the Heritage District. And you can see the friendly cat just to the left of the "Open" sign.

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This is the basement of the Sackrider Church between the one-room Randall School and the Mudget Community Pavilion. The basement serves as a Native American Artifacts Museum which consists mostly of arrowheads.

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The man in the orange shirt that you see loading something into the pick-up truck is none other than George Wendt, famous for his role as Norm Peterson on the hit TV show CHEERS ( 1982 - 1993 ). 

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George "Norm!" Wendt. I found this on Wikipedia. This is an old picture of him. He's much older now but still on the "heavy" side.

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I took these photos of George Wendt, paparazzi-style!

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Yup, still "heavy" after all these years.

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I didn't know that I had it in me: Cine-Man, a.k.a. Paparazzi-Man!

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These are the Porta-Potties lined-up at the back lot of a huge flea market, Burley Park Flea Market in Howard City, Michigan, that my sister, my brother-in-law and my niece took me to. Would you believe that these porta-potties didn't come with toilet seat liners?!?!?! Yuck!

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This is the entrance sign of Burley Park Flea Market, Howard City, Michigan. I found this on the Internet.

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These are some of the items for sale at the flea market.

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After we left the flea market, we stopped at this Chinese buffet restaurant, the Oriental Forest Buffet, in Newaygo, MI, over 20 miles ( 32.19 km ) away from Howard City, MI. My niece ate very little. I think that my niece is at that age when she is now self-conscious about her figure and is on a strict diet to lose her "baby fat". She was a slightly-plump little girl who is now blossoming into a beautiful teen. By the way, at the flea market, I looked around to see how many beautiful girls I could spot. I only saw three beautiful girls: a Japanese girl, a Mulatta, and--of course--my niece! I'm sorry to say, but none of the white girls that I saw at the flea market were anything close to being attractive ( "I Wish They All Could Be California Girls" ).

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On the way home to Grand Rapids, Michigan, we stopped at this sporting goods store, the Sportsman's Liquidation Outlet Store,  in Comstock Park ( next to Grand Rapids ), on Alpine Avenue NW, to browse around. That's my niece entering through the doorway.

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I went here, upon my sister's suggestion, to buy some Michigan State lottery tickets because a lot of people won on tickets bought at this store, Party World, here in Comstock Park, MI, on Alpine Avenue NW. Supposedly, their lotto-winning secret is a dried-up Four-Leaf Clover on the cash register counter that they rubbed their tickets on. I guess when it came time for me to rub my tickets on it, it had already ran-out of its "lucky charm"!!! Boo-hoo, how sad ....

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This is in the parking lot of Plumb's Supermarket here in Grand Rapids, MI, on 4 Mile Road NW.

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This is the Golden Corral Buffet and Grill Restaurant here in Grand Rapids, MI, on Alpine Avenue NW. My sister's parents-in-law treated me to an all-you-can-eat dinner. Yummy. My "pigging-out at buffet restaurants" reputation precedes me!

>>> You will, perhaps, notice that I skipped a day here. What's missing is my travelogue for Thursday, September 8th, 2011. It's not here because I posted it on my blog on COLOMBIANA ( 2011 ) <<<

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This PakMail shop here in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is close to the Golden Corral Buffet and Grill Restaurant. My sister had to drop-off a package for shipment.

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My sister took me here, the Thaiexpress Restaurant, for some lunch. This is in Grand Rapids ( or is it in Kentwood? ), MI. A few doors down from here is a Bridal Shop where wedding dresses are sold for around 50 bucks---Cheap! what a deal. Quick! I should find someone to marry before they raise their prices on their bridal gowns. I gotta start perusing the Mail-Order Brides Catalog. LOL 

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After lunch, my sister took me to this health food store, Harvest Health Foods, on Eastern Avenue, to go shopping. This is also in Grand Rapids, MI, in the old part of the city. A part of the city that reminded me so much of Oakland, CA. This is exactly the comment that I said to my sister. If you've been to Oakland, CA, you know what I'm talking about here. FYI, I was the first in my family to go shopping at health food stores; it was way back in 1975 when I got on the health-food bandwagon. And I'm still sexy to this day---Ahem! Honestly, I still don't have frown lines, crow's feet and/or smile lines on my face---Thank God. ( It helps that I don't smile a lot or frown a lot--ha, ha, ha. )

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My sister took me to visit this place, the final resting place of the former/late Pres. Gerald R. Ford, Jr., 38th President of The United States of America, and his wife.

President Gerald R. Ford, Jr. I got this photo from Wikipedia. Pres. Ford was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., on the 14th of July, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska. After a months' long marriage to his  biological father, his mother took him with her to live with her parents. And before he turned three years of age, his mother remarried to a Mr. Gerald R. Ford, the son of a store owner in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was named after his adoptive father although he wasn't formally adopted. He changed his name from Leslie L. King, Jr. to Gerald R. Ford, Jr. on the 3rd of December, 1935.

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This is the marker honoring Grand Rapids' World-famous adopted son, former/late Pres. Gerald R. Ford, Jr., who had come back home to rest.

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This is the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, on Pearl Street NW, here in Grand Rapids, MI, just to the left of former/late Pres. Gerald Ford, Jr.'s final resting place. I wonder why my sister didn't take me inside to show me around. Hmmm ....

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This park is right outside of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Some workers were setting-up the stage for an evening outdoor concert in a few hours' time. Already, some people had staked-out their spots on the grass. Sorry, but we didn't get to go to this FREE!!! concert as we had other plans. The river in the background is the Grand Rapids River. To the right of this picture was a stall where fudge was sold. I bought a pack of fudge; I forget what flavor.

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This is the pair of shoes that I wore on my vacation. When I got back home to Vallejo, CA, I donated this to the local charity because it gave me blisters between my toes when I went to Makinac Island, Michigan, with my sister and her family. I had to improvise and asked a waitress at the burger restaurant where we had lunch to bring me an extra pat of butter so I could rub it between my toes to ease the blister pain away---It worked! Also, when we were at the Burley Park Flea Market four days prior to this photo shoot, my shoes gave me hip pain.

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This is the grave marker of Richard York, a.k.a. Darrin Stephens of the TV show, BEWITCHED ( 1964-1969 ). He died in Grand Rapids, MI, and was laid to rest here in Plainfield Charter Township, Kent County, MI. My sister, my niece, my brother-in-law and I spread-out to look for this grave. I think my niece was the one who spotted it first. I didn't envision a simple grave; I mean, after all, Richard York was a famous TV actor. I was searching for a fancier grave site, instead.

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Richard York. I found this on the Internet.

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This is the TV show ( I found this poster on the Internet ) that Richard York was on before he was sidelined by a back problem. This show starred Elizabeth Montgomery as a beautiful modern-day ( '60s, that is ) witch. I had a major crush on her, if you must know. And, nope, she was not an Amish witch. Ha, ha, ha.

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Elizabeth Montgomery ( 1933 - 1995 ). I found this on the Internet.

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This is Richard York's wife's reserved plot, next to his grave.

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My niece put the flower ( perfectly framed! ) on Richard York's grave marker. He was my niece's favorite TV actor.

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This is the groundskeeper's shed at the cemetery here in Plainfield Charter Township, just north of Grand Rapids, MI. This is the second largest city here in Michigan ( and, by logical extension, the 2nd largest cemetery ...? Maybe ). I think that the restrooms are right behind this shed.

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This motel/restaurant in Comstock Park, Michigan, the Swan Inn Motel Restaurant, on Alpine Avenue NW, was leveled by a tornado back in the early '60s. We stopped here for dinner after we visited Richard York's grave.

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This is at the Denver Airport in Colorado. The time-stamp is still on Michigan time. I took this picture while I waited for my connecting flight back to Oakland, California.

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My late, beloved Geo Metro, months before it was vandalized and totaled by would-be car thieves. This shot was taken at the long-term airport parking in San Leandro, CA, the Espresso Airport Parking, on Doolittle Drive. The time stamp is still on Michigan time.

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On the drive home to Vallejo, CA, I took this picture of an accident clean-up on the freeway in Oakland, CA, near the Coliseum Arena ( I forget what they call this arena now ). The time stamp is still on Michigan time.

P.S. If I somehow recover the lost pictures of my first week of vacation in Michigan/Indiana back in September, 2011, I will post them here on my blogsite someday.

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