February 2025 Movies & More

I was supposed to be watching the Oscar movies this month, but unless they were streaming for free, I skipped most. I tried Emelia Perez but bailed out after I understood the premise, which I did not find entertaining. Here are the movies I did watch, rated on a scale of 0-5 cans of tuna fish and numbered starting with last month.

13. Goodrich * (2024, Netflix) – Poor Andy Goodrich (Michael Keaton) doesn’t know what hit him. The father of young twins, Andy is an art dealer whose gallery is losing business, causing him long hours spent working and ignoring his family. One night he gets a call from his young wife informing him that she has checked into a rehab center and will not be home for three months and telling him that he is in charge. Having already failed at fatherhood with his adult daughter (Mila Kunis), who is pregnant herself, Andy wants to do better but barely has a clue. Keaton is very good at playing hapless, and his Andy really wants to succeed because he is basically a good guy. And you can’t help but root for him as he tries to save the family and the business. 3 cans.
14. Kobe: The Making of a Legend (2025, CNN) – I couldn’t help but think that this 3-part documentary should have fallen somewhere between the Michael Jordan opus, “The Last Dance,” and the Derek Jeter bio, “The Captain.” This one starts with Kobe’s childhood, where he is a phenom who wants to skip college and play in the NBA for the Lakers. There is extensive coverage of the case when Kobe is sued for sexual assault but virtually nothing about his estrangement from his father, NBA and European pro Joe “Jellybean” Bryant. Then all of a sudden he seems to have taken on the role of “Girl Dad” to his three little daughters, and then boom, he is lost in a tragic helicopter crash that took the lives of Kobe, his daughter GiGi and her teammates. There is a great, tragic story here, but I felt it didn’t get a chance to play out completely. 3 cans.
15. The Gloria Gaynor Story: I Will Survive* and 16. Robin Roberts Presents: Gloria Gaynor (2025, Lifetime) – There are two separate movies here, one a documentary (much preferred) and another a docu-drama where nothing seems real.  This is not a review of the movie as much as it is of the life of this immensely talented woman who was called “The Queen of Disco” (Donna Summer might well take issue with that claim). Her “I Will Survive” anthem helped to define the power and assertiveness that Gaynor herself needed to survive in the face of the decline of the disco genre, the unfaithfulness of her husband, countless serious medical issues and the power of an industry which wanted to dictate Gloria’s career. But she did survive, and make sure you stay to see the closing credits, because they made me admire her even more! 4 cans.
17. 9/11: Minute by Minute* (2021, Prime Video) – Just in case anyone could possibly forget the events of Sept. 11, 2000, this engrossing documentary covers it all – from the four separate flights commandeered by terrorists targeting Americans and their most cherished institutions, to the police, firefighters, the people running through the streets of Manhattan and the media covering the events of the day. The most profound part to me was the transmission of the actual voices as the events unfolded in real time, how confused the flight operations staffs were as they tried to track the planes and the passengers and who desperately tried to alert their counterparts about the disaster taking place on their tiny screens. This exceptional work reminds us of the infliction of real terrorism. 4 cans.
18. You Are What You Eat* (2025, Netflix) – After watching this show, you may just lose your appetite. This three-part series focuses on a study done with identical twins who are put on either a Mediterranean diet or an “omnivore” diet where the participants are carefully monitored to identity health issues and improvements they experience on their respective diets. The show also traces the food chain to see not only how food we eat gets to the table but also the negative impact it has on the environment (you won’t believe how much deadly gas pigs emit). That part was hard to watch. I think the series would have been better if the focus had not been spread over several major issues. Just the study of twins merited its own look while I found the reality of our system of catching, caging and growing food to be worthy of its own series. 3 cans.
19. 50,000 First Dates* (2025, Netflix) – Poor Nesh. She has suffered a series of concussions that have resulted in a traumatic brain injury that affects every aspect of her life. There is so much she simply cannot recall. Sometimes she has to retreat to her “brain room,” a quiet space where she can escape from the world and allow her brain to rest. She is fortunate to have a committed partner in JJ, whose love and devotion to his girlfriend brings her strength. This documentary reminds us of the old Drew Barrymore/Adam Sandler movie but it is real. It gave me plenty to think about even as Nesh could not. 3 cans.
20. Scamanda* (2025, ABC) – When my mother would find shows or movies so different from traditional entertainment, her first comment would always be, “Bring back Mickey Rooney!” Well, Mom, we have come a long way since Mickey and Judy looked for a barn to perform in. This mini-series profiles Amanda Riley, social media mom and alleged cancer victim, whose sad story was told amid moving pictures of the young mother undergoing chemotherapy, with IV poles and medications not too prominently displayed. That’s because she did not actually have cancer. Who comes up with an idea to scam well-intentioned and generous people by playing on their sympathy for a young woman who just might succumb to the disease? Amanda handled her illness on social media, constantly blogging and keeping her followers falsely updated. How the scam fell apart and the role of journalists, friends and one-time believers is fascinating. Mom was right. We could use a good, wholesome Mickey Rooney movie! 3½ cans.
21. American Murder: Gabby Petito* (2025, Netflix) – When young adults Gabby Petito and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, bought a white van and outfitted it so they could tour the country, life looked idyllic. They were young and in love, enjoyed blogging about their “Van Life” as they visited national parks and saw the sights of America. But troubling signs began to emerge, as this documentary shows. They were confronted by police after someone saw them fighting on the road, and Gabby tried to take the blame for their confrontation. Not long after that incident, Gabby fell out of contact with her parents, step-parents and friends, while Brian was found at his parents’ home, the white van parked in their driveway. I don’t have to tell you that this situation did not end well (in case you missed the big clue in the title). When things seem either too good to be true or are glossed over, almost inevitably there are unresolved issues that often come to a tragic end, as this one did. 3½ cans and lots of sympathy for the devastated families of Gabby (and not even a sole tear for Brian’s family).
22. No Way Out (1987, Tubi TV) – A young Kevin Costner is Navy Commander Tom Farrell, assigned to the Secretary of Defense, David Brice (Gene Hackman) and charged with investigating the murder of Susan Atwood (Sean Young). The complicating factor is that both Farrell and Brice were engaged in affairs with Susan, and Brice is her actual killer. The walls are closing in on Commander Farrell, as the now-antiquated computer programs spit out information which will lead either to Brice or Tom (dot matrix printers, anyone?). This is a twisty and stylish movie, made better by Hackman, who plays a man of power who is secretly weak and vulnerable. They throw in a Russian spy angle, which I never quite understood but which cannot take away from the main story and the first rate performances of Costner and Hackman. 4 cans.
23. La Dolce Villa* (2025, Netflix) – You would have to be blind to miss the inevitable romance between Scott Foley as Eric, an American father with a daughter living in Italy, and Francesca, the town mayor who is helping Eric handle his daughter’s purchase of a local house. Everything is beautiful and predictable in this lightweight rom-com. Will Eric stay in Italy? Will his daughter get an internship? Will the contractor restore the house? Not exactly burning questions, but with great scenery and yummy-looking food, the movie is a treat for the senses. 2½ cans.
24. Becoming Katharine Graham* (2025, Prime Video) – The legendary publisher of The Washington Post is chronicled in this documentary. She began her interest in journalism when her father purchased the paper and she cut her teeth there as a reporter. It was her husband, Philip Graham, who became the publisher of the Post, and he expanded the operation into TV and radio in addition to merging with other papers. When Philip committed suicide, Kay Graham took on the publisher’s role, rising to notoriety when the Post went head-to-head with President Nixon over Watergate. We know how that ended. This is an interesting biopic that pays homage to a woman who broke glass ceilings and stood up to Nixon and his cronies. 4 cans.
 

February Funnies

“They” say you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. I say, “Why are you trying to catch more flies?”

My tube of toothpaste and my tube of lidocaine for my balky knee are the same size and shape. I figure it is just a matter of time before I make a mistake and end up with a minty fresh knee and a mouth that is numb.

I made a vow NOT to watch the news for the next four years because it upsets me too much. If some really big news hits, I will not see it unless it is carried on ESPN, HGTV or Netflix. I'm counting on the rest of you to let me know if the world ends.

I had to have major service done on my 12-year old Mercedes recently so the dealer was kind enough to arrange for a loaner car. I hate to drive cars that I don’t own. My car is so old that it still has a key, so I made sure to ask how to turn this one on and off. I just about fell into the car upon entry since the seat was so low! I was able to raise it up so I could get in a little more gracefully, but I can’t say the same for the heated seats, which were cooking my tush by the time I got home. Or the heated steering wheel, which I never did figure out. The day I picked up the car was icy and rainy, so I had to figure out which tiny icon was supposed to show the wipers. I managed to turn on the radio, but the media screen was larger than my iPad, and I never did figure out how to change the radio station, adjust the volume or turn the whole thing off. I guess the thinking is that we humans can interpret tiny symbols – which could be located on the large screen, near the window controls or anywhere else – but I was stumped. I remember picking up my car from the dealer back in the fall of 2013. He took great pleasure in showing me how to adjust the color of the interior lights, which he bragged could turn up in white, blue and many other colors. I told him to set the lights at white and not to worry about teaching me how to change them because they would never be changed – and they never have been since the day I left the showroom. Why is life so complicated?

Speaking of which, why do we have to have multiple names for the meds we take? You’re at the doctor’s office and the PA asks you what you are taking. I show up with a typed list, but even with that, I’m asked: Do you take such and such for your blood pressure? That name isn’t familiar to me. Do I take something different or is it just a different name? CVS texts me to say that drug XYZ is ready for pick-up, but that name is not the name of the drug I have been told to take. Is this drug different or it this just “the name game?”

And while I am on this rant, these portals have just gotten out of hand. I don’t want to have to go to the portal, remember my sign-on and password, only to find that the new message waiting for me simply thanks me for showing up at the appointment I just had. There’s no new information. And I don’t want to download an app for one medication that was just added to my list, either.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest!

If I am not inept, does that mean I am ept? English is a funny language.

I don’t understand how people can walk around with sweaters draped casually over their shoulders. I can barely keep stuff on that requires two sleeves. And speaking of sleeves, if it is cold enough for you to wear a vest to keep your torso warm, isn’t it cold enough to wear a full sweater? Your arms are going to be cold without sleeves!

I have developed full-fledged FOBU as I hit my mid-70s. I have a Fear of Backing Up. I check once, twice, three times to make sure there are no ladies behind me before I make a move. And forget the back-up camera – that’s just an accessory to my head-on-a-swivel to make sure I’m driving safely. The opposite of FOBU is JOPT – the Joy of Pulling Through. I’ll cruise the parking lot looking for a space where I can pull though and enjoy not having to deal with FOBU!

I’m tired of being hacked or cloned on Facebook. Does anybody really want to be me? I have changed my PW twice already this year and I kind of liked the first one! Maybe I should just give up all social media and read more books.

When it comes to math, I feel confident that I can handle the most rudimentary level with no problem. I’m especially good at figuring out the tip in a restaurant. I had to deal with “new math” in sixth grade and at least I understood the principles, even though I knew then that it wouldn’t last. But I think I’d need a PhD to figure out the pricing at Applebee’s. There’s three of these for X amount, and two of these other dishes for Y amount, and no substitutions…Just give me the regular menu and I don’t care if it costs more. I just want to eat, not to do math!

When you reach a certain age, your body has messages for you that require interpretation. I have analyzed these messages and have come to the conclusion that they say one or more of three things: Nothing works; everything hurts; and don’t even bother to try it!

I am going nowhere and seeing no one today, so naturally my hair looks great! I think my hair has a mind of its own.

My collection of perfume is so old that everything now smells the same, except for my mother’s bottle of Estee Lauder Youth Dew, which retained its distinctive scent. My mother died in 1989, and the bottle probably goes back a few years prior to that. But I will never get rid of it because every once in a while, I need that olfactory reminder of the presence of Mom, and that would have to include the scent of that perfume.

Any time there is snow in the forecast, I can predict a flurry of activity by the “Google Group,” the email group that residents of my “active adult community” use to exchange information – and complaints. There are 1200 houses here, and not everyone can be first on the snow removal list. Or even when there isn’t much snow, the neighbors like to grouse that THEIR driveway hasn’t been cleared yet. Chill out, folks; the poor workers who do the plowing and shoveling till all hours of the night will eventually get to you! And at least you don’t have to do it. Gross generalization: Many of us have nowhere special we have to be. Unless you are still working, which is the case for some people, or if you have medical people delivering service to you or if you have an appointment with your doctor, you can either wait in your house and watch the pretty snow falling, or, if it is two inches deep, just drive over it to get to ShopRite. Not everyone has to go all Peter Finch and yell from the social media window, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”

Legit question: How do parents of multiples tell them apart? If they are a boy and a girl, that would make it easy. But if you have four little boys, do you color code their toenails to distinguish between them? I have always wondered.

Why are sweet potato fries always an upcharge? Are sweet potatoes in short supply? You can get regular fries with your meal, but upgrade and it’s going to cost you!

Just how many red rubber stress balls does a 74-year old woman need? I found two in my drawer today. I guess I have a lot of stress!

Any location in the vicinity of Princeton, NJ, will bill itself as “Princeton.” Any venue in NYC within walking distance of Time Square will bill itself as Times Square. I guess these locations are considered more prestigious than where the towns are actually located.

 

First Movies & More of 2025

Welcome to the first movies and more of the year, which includes a dozen TV series, documentaries movies and more that I watched in January. As always, everything is rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 being the top score. Anything marked with a asterisk was something I had not seen before. 

1. Luther: Never Too Much* (2025, CNN) – I began this year by seeing this wonderful documentary on Luther Vandross, singer, songwriter, arranger, and all-around musical phenomenon. Luther had those velvet tones and could squeeze tragedy out of just a few notes. This documentary looks back on his life and career and reminds me of how many songs he performed that I loved. 4 cans.
2. A Little White Lie* (2003, Netflix) – Shriver (Michael Shannon) receives an invitation to a college literary fair where the acclaimed author will be the honored guest. But Shriver is a janitor, and the invitation is intended for the reclusive author of a very popular book. He goes anyway and accepts the adoration afforded him despite his lack of credentials. This movie reminded me of “Being There,” an old movie where Peter Sellars as Chauncey the Gardener is hailed as a genius but is decidedly less so. Is this a satire? A comedy? And who IS the real Shriver, a Salingeresque-type figure who has never been photographed or seen since his bestseller was published. The college staff (Kate Hudson, Don Johnson and others) is counting on THIS Shriver to save their literary fair, but will the real Shriver please stand up? 3 cans.
3. The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Season* (2025, Investigation Discovery Channel) – The only reason I tolerated this 2-part documentary was that I wanted to see the FINAL chapter after watching the original series with my jaw dropped in its debut season last year. Natalia was a Russian orphan with extreme dwarfism. Last year’s episodes detailed her strange adoptive parents, accusations that she attempted to kill her adoptive mother, her abandonment by her parents and her eventual adoption by another family, which ended on a twisty cliffhanger. This year picks up that theme. Way too much drama here, where I didn’t know whom to believe and, frankly, didn’t really care. If they come back with a FINAL, FINAL season, I won’t be watching. 2 cans and an immense waste of my time. Pull the plug, Tina.
4. Selling the City* (2025, Netflix) – Netflix has cornered the market on real estate shows with beautiful realtors selling multi-million-dollar properties in between cat fights. Instead of enjoying the vistas from Beverly Hills or Hollywood, here we have New York City apartments with views of the Empire State Building. This is high heels in high rises. The drama seems so phony, but the apartments are to die for. For that, mostly, this 10-part series rates 3½ cans.
5. Norman Harris Rare Guitars* (2024, Netflix) – Anyone who ever picked up a guitar in the LA area eventually visited Norman Harris Rare Guitars. Tom Petty, Richie Sambora, Dylan, Melissa Etheridge, Robbie Robertson and a host of regular folks, actors and miscellaneous guitar enthusiasts appreciated going to Norm’s store, experiencing his immense collection of guitars and learning their stories and noodling away on one of the thousands of guitars in stock. I don’t play guitar, but you can see in this documentary the joy people experienced there, hanging out with musicians and trying out the instruments. Someday Norm is going to be too old to maintain his store and his inventory, but until that day comes, imagine the memories that will continue to be made in his musical cathedral. 3½ guitar picks.
6. The Replacements* (2000, AMC Cable) – How did I miss this movie over the past 25 years?  It has sports AND humor, so it is right up my alley. When the professional football players of the fictional Washington Sentinels go on strike, management hires a veteran coach (Gene Hackman, not quite the same as Norman Dale, the coach he played in “Hoosiers”), who says he will take over if he is allowed to assemble the team without interference from the owner. He brings in a ragtag squad of stereotypical players, including one straight out of jail and others who might end up there. He insists on taking QB Shane Falco (Keanu Reeves), a former star college quarterback who choked years earlier in the big Sugar Bowl game and hasn’t played since. Will the team come through to win? Will Shane score with the head cheerleader? Burning cliches abound here, but the overall tone is fun and entertaining. There is a great scene with the team all singing and dancing to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” – in the local jail. If you want to see a really great sports comedy, I recommend “Slap Shot,” the hockey movie starring Paul Newman and featuring the fictional but legendary Hansen brothers. That one is a total winner! This one earns 3 cans.
7. September 5* (2024, Manville Cinema) – This enthralling drama takes us behind the scenes to witness the terrorist attack on the 1972 Israeli Olympic Team in Munich. The ABC Sports team is on hand when gunshots are reported at the Olympic Village and soon the staffers find themselves trying to gather facts and tell the story of hostages and terrorists in an unprecedented situation. There’s a tussle between ABC Sports head Roone Arledge and the Network’s news division over who should take the lead. Anchor Jim McKay’s footage is from the actual event, and his calm demeanor helped to quell panic in the control room. This movie is intense and doesn’t need machines blowing up and all the other visual effects typically seen in films like this. 4 cans.
8.  SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night* (2024, Peacock) – As Saturday Night Live celebrates 50 years on the air, the comedy/sketch show is examined in this 4-part documentary. Frankly, I was disappointed. There is a treasure trove of comedic classics available that were not included. Instead, we have an inordinate amount of time spent on the “More Cowbell” sketch with Will Farrell. The first and best episode, “Five Minutes,” shows auditions where prospective cast members were allotted five minutes to demonstrate their talent in hopes of being selected for the cast of the show. How some people got cast after their auditions is puzzling – in some cases, even to them. The second part is all about the writers, some of whom auditioned to join the cast but instead were hired to write. Then there is the cowbell episode and, finally, a hard look at the return of show creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels after a few years. Along with him was an entirely new cast for Season 11, which turned out to be a dark time for the celebrated show, as the actors were either too young, badly cast or lacked chemistry with their cohorts. This was not a highpoint of the 50 years of SNL, so why bother to cover it in such detail? After all, Season 11 is now nearly 40 years old and the show DID survive. The documentary failed to include some of the classic sketches (think Dan Ackroyd as Julia Child) and skips over the original Prime Time Players who made the show such a hit in its early years. There are 50 years of clips from which to draw. I was not impressed with at least half of the series. 2½ cans.
9. The Breakthrough* (2025, Netflix) – Twenty years ago a middle-aged woman and a young boy were randomly murdered in Sweden. The senseless crime seemed to have no motive and no apparent suspects despite the diligent efforts of the police to solve the case. It wasn’t until they teamed up with a genealogist that they were able to find new leads and solve the crime. This 4-part series is based on that true crime story. It shows the anguish of the families who anxiously awaited results and on the dedication of the police officer in charge of investigating the crime. The dialog is dubbed in British English from its original Swedish. Just as the investigation dragged on, so did some of the series. 3 cans.
10. Unstoppable* (2024, Prime Video) – Most sports movies are full of cliches: The hero is determined to succeed in the face of adversity and, in the end, triumphs on or off the field of play. But this drama, despite the cliches, stands out a bit. Anthony Robles was born with one leg to a 16-year-old single mother. She eventually marries and has a bunch of other kids, with the family always living at or beneath the poverty line. Her husband is abusive and arrogant and not Anthony’s birth father. But when he wrestles, Anthony doesn’t think about what he doesn’t have – a stable home, a real father, or two legs. He does everything he can to prepare himself mentally and physically to be a champion. This is a true story, and it is impressive. Champions aren’t necessarily the biggest and strongest or born to be champions. Some champions get there with the unending support of a mother (Jennifer Lopez in a fine performance) or other mentor and sheer will. This isn’t exactly Rocky or Rudy, but it is Robles. 3½ cans.
11. Gypsy* (Broadway) – Everything’s coming up roses in this wonderful revival of the classic Broadway musical starring Broadway veteran Audra McDonald. She dominates the stage as overwrought Rose, the ultimate stage mother, determined to make stars out of her vivacious daughter June and her shy, reluctant daughter Louise. This show harkens back to the days when musicals were teeming with memorable numbers, unlike today’s “jukebox” musicals that take existing songs and cobble together a plot around them. I had chills from the opening number, and each time Audra opened her mouth, I was mesmerized. Her Rose is a desperate woman and requires a certain amount of grittiness, which McDonald handled very well. I was waiting for the big finish with the show’s classic song, “Rose’s Turn,” and it did not disappoint. I went to a matinee, and I cannot imagine how the cast could perform the show again that evening! I’m just thrilled I caught it with Audra McDonald in the lead, because she definitely entertained me. 4½ cans.
12. You’re Cordially Invited* (2025, Prime Video) – I urge you to turn down the invitation to watch this alleged rom-com, despite the presence of such veteran actors as Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell. Reese plays Margot, whose sister is getting married. Ferrell is Jim, a widower whose daughter is also getting married, and the venue has inadvertently booked both parties for the same weekend. Although the families don’t know each other, they agree to share the facility, and chaos ensues. Predictable chaos. Who couldn’t figure out that the wedding ceremony on the dock would end with the wedding party in the water or that the crazy dancing would end with the cake toppling over? Come on! But an alligator in a bed? That’s one of the more ridiculous and stupid parts of this movie. I could spend time pointing out the insipid scenes in this movie or the cliched views of Southerners portrayed here, but I spent enough time just watching this movie so you won’t have to. Giving it 1 can is being kind.

Happy 2025!

No need to make any new New Year’s resolutions. I just dusted off last year’s collection to give them another shot.

If I can have heated seats in my car, shouldn’t I be able to have heated seats on my couch? I don’t think I would ever leave the house!

Being short has very few advantages. Sure, I’m closer to the ground and could stop, drop and roll in case I catch on fire, but that doesn’t make up for my need to climb on the supermarket shelves to get something I need. I’m tired of asking taller people (for me, that’s anyone over 5’2”) to get something from a higher shelf. Where I shop, the rest of the old people around here shop, so there aren’t that many “tall” people to ask for help. I have to use a step-stool to get to the second shelf of the kitchen cabinets, and I even have a step-stool next to my bed. The phrase “climb into bed” is completely accurate for me. I’d like to be able to get the laundry out of the washing machine without injuring my ribs. I don’t take a carry-on on an airplane if it has to be stored in the overhead bin because I always need help putting it there and retrieving it. And at this age, I am probably shrinking, so the reality of my ever reaching anything has diminished.

I wonder what is stored in the cabinets above the refrigerator. I hope it’s not something I need.

Passwords – the bane of our existence! I have all of mine in a cleverly labeled document that no one else would guess and I put a password on that to keep it safe. Now I can’t figure out THAT password, so I can’t access the master document. I got a password protection program but that no longer works either. Some passwords require a capital letter, a number and a special symbol – but which ones? As I said – the bane of our existence!

According to my driver’s license, I have brown hair. That’s what it looks like to me in the mirror. So why does every picture of me look like I have gray hair, white hair or sometimes blonde hair? I’m sticking with brown. I don’t want to change my driver’s license.

I’m a firm believer in back-ups, so I rarely find myself without an ample supply of staples like toilet paper, napkins and cleaning supplies. If I install a new cartridge in my printer, I’ll order a new back-up that day, so I never get caught short. I keep plenty of tape, paper clips and, yes, even staples on hand so I’ll never run out. That’s probably because when I was growing up, I was lucky to find a pen or pencil to do my homework. My father would use a razor blade to sharpen the pencils because who could afford a sharpener? Now I have an overabundance of everything, and if I only have 48 rolls of toilet paper in the house, I’m sure it’s time to restock. 

My sister is sitting in her very noisy house while the roofers put a new roof on. Between the hammering and nailing and her Ring doorbell alarm going off, that is not the place you want to be. She’s a little disappointed that she needed a new roof in the first place. She never had a roof leak (that she knows of), just an occasional shingle would blow off. But it was looking old and worn and it was probably the right time to replace it, despite the noise and inconvenience, before it did start to leak. She said she just couldn’t believe that the old one would lose shingles periodically. I had to point out that the old roof was 36 years old!

I cannot imagine having the ability to write a song, record and perform it, and have an entire audience enraptured by it. What a feeling it must be to create something that captures people’s hearts to the point that they sing along or play it over and over and share it with meaningful people in their lives. To know that you made something that was loved and shared by others must be a joyful accomplishment.

Alexa and I are BFFs. She lets me know the weather and I tell her what to add to my shopping list. But sometimes she can demonstrate mom-like tendencies. She’ll tell me that it may be time to order more tuna fish or that I might be running out of my probiotics. And sometimes her algorithm seems a little off, like when she tells me about a book or author that I might like, and I have never heard of the author. She let my sister know that there was a book available that she might like. Nancy doesn’t read that much and since Alexa said the book was about animals, a subject in which Nancy has no interest, that algorithm made no sense at all. Do better, Alexa.

My sister and I are tired of the whole dinner planning/cooking/cleaning up routine. In addition to using paper plates (at least for lunch), she says she would prefer to have paper pots so she wouldn’t have to scrub anything. I get it.

I’d like to wash the dishes without getting water up my sleeves. 

I didn’t think some of the songs of the Disco era could get any faster, but even KC & the Sunshine Band is sped up on “That’s the Way, (Uh, Huh, Uh, Huh) I Like It” when they play it for my aqua aerobics class. It is played at breakneck speed! Eventually, all of the songs played sound like “Ice, Ice, Baby” by Vanilla Ice. 

I have more Tupperware and glass containers than I could ever use, unless I move into a shelter in the event of an apocalypse. But I cannot bring myself to let go of any. The same is true of mugs. I don’t even drink coffee, yet I have an extensive collection of mugs, many of which were gifts or have some special meaning, like my mug from my high school reunion from 25 years ago. No way I’m getting rid of that one!

The days are getting longer, thankfully. By now it only starts getting dark just before 5 PM. Man, it is a long, cold, lonely winter!

I feel sorry for those astronauts who were launched into space back in June for about a week but who have been stuck on the space station ever since. This is the real-life equivalent of “Gilligan’s Island,” when a three-hour tour on the S.S. Minnow turned into a multi-season TV comedy. I would be so sick of my socks and clothes by now, to say nothing of my co-workers. Do they have enough laundry detergent to wash their meager wardrobe?  Are they rationing toothpaste and mouthwash? Will they ever get to see new movies or binge TV shows? And I sure hope they didn’t have any library books on hand when they launched, because those books will be WAY overdue!

I love the sound of Michael McDonald’s voice and I love his music. Maybe one day I’ll actually understand the words that he is singing. Same with Bob Dylan and Dave Matthews.

In December there was an area-wide issue here with water quality, taste and smell. The local water company, which recently hiked their prices substantially, initially could not explain why the water smelled like paint thinner. I suppose it didn’t taste quite right, either, but I refrained from consuming it and went back to using bottled water. There were numerous assurances that the water tested just fine, thank you, but I don’t want to start growing an ear on my forehead if it turned out that it was actually dangerous to consumers (think: Love Canal). The problem was eventually traced to a small local company that makes fragrances (and presumably dumps dangerous chemicals into local streams and tributaries), but the water company insisted the water was safe to use. Meanwhile, my used bottles are filling the recycling can and I’m having trouble finding cases of water in the supermarket.

I have been immersed in watching “ER,” the old medical show from NBC, for the past few weeks. There are 330 episodes in the 15 years that the series aired, and I’m up to season 6 – and those were the days when a season went ran around 20 episodes or more! I’m amazed at the ability of the writers to convey real-life medical issues and in the actors’ ability to deliver the medical lingo with such conviction. I keep looking up terms and conditions so I understand the plots better. Yesterday I caught an episode where they were bemoaning the advent of Y2K, something my younger readers will barely remember at all. But for the rest of us who were worried about how turning the page on the last century would cause technical chaos, what a non-event that turned out to be – thank goodness! I’m totally enjoying this show and I don’t think I ever finished it when it first aired, so there’s plenty for me to experience for the first time.

December 2024 Movies & More Plus 2024 Favorites

Here is a list of the movies & more that I saw in December, and below it is a list of the movies that I liked the most this year. Movies marked with an asterisk were new to me. All shows are rated on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the top grade. Enjoy!
146. Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary* (2024, HBO and Max) – This documentary celebrates the soft rock sound, a California sound best exemplified by Michael McDonald and the Doobie Brothers, Toto, Steely Dan, Ambrosia, Kenny Loggins and Christopher Cross. The filmmakers work hard to tie this genre to jazz, rock (as in Fleetwood Mac) and other types of music. I confess I didn’t always see the connection, but the music itself – no matter how it became “Yacht Rock” -- remains memorable 40 years later. 3½ cans.
147. She Came to Me* (2023, Netflix) – In this strange little movie the protagonists are an opera composer (Peter Dinklage), a therapist (Anne Hathaway), a tugboat operator (Marisa Tomei), a Civil War reenactor (Brian D’Arcy James) and a couple of teenagers in love. It takes a while until the plot makes sense, and I almost bailed at one point, but it comes together in the end somehow. The point is that love comes from unusual places sometimes and when you least expect it. I’m not recommending highly, so you might want to do some more research before committing an hour and a half to this one. 3 cans.
148. Gene & Gilda* (2024, stage production at the George Street Playhouse) – It was nice being back at the theater again after a while, and you cannot find a comfier place than GSP to watch a show. There’s not a bad seat in the house (and the seats are comfortable, too) and the productions, while not the typical elaborate Broadway shows, are staged and directed well, with more emphasis on the steak and less on the sizzle. That said, this two-person show about actor/writer/director Gene Wilder and his love affair and marriage to Saturday Night Live comedienne Gilda Radner is sweet and poignant. They bounce around the stage, embodying the silliness, intelligence and passion of the characters as their love blossoms and is later faced with tragedy. Stars Jonathan Randell Silver as Gene Wilder and Jordan Kai Burnett as Gilda Radner carry a heavy load of dialog and perform on a minimalist set, but they rise to the occasion. He is insecure and afraid to open up and she’s naturally funny and looking for love. It has a limited engagement, so by the time you read this, it is likely closed, but it was enjoyable. 3½ cans.
149. Queer Eye, Season 9* (2024, Netflix) – The boys are back in town – this time, Las Vegas – where the Fab Five helps everyday people to improve their lives with everything from restyled hair and wardrobe to redesigned homes and cooking and love. This season they are there for a Black male librarian, a couple looking to get married, a few single moms and a man who lives in a costume. New cast member Jeremiah takes over the home reno, organization and decorating duties and I wasn’t sure he would make it through the season since he was moved to tears by practically every person he helped! The series remains a heartwarming look at how basic changes and being more confident about yourself can make a vast difference in life. 4 cans.
150. The Turnaround* (2024, Netflix) – Philadelphia sports fans are known for their particular brand of vitriol. They boo the opponents and sometimes their own players with bravado. After all, this is the fan base that booed Santa once. So, when it came to slumping infielder Trea Turner, the Phillies fans expressed their contempt. Until they didn’t. Vociferous fan Jon McCann decided that Turner needed encouragement, not condemnation, and he voiced his view that the fans should give Turner a standing ovation to help him turn things around. This 25-minute documentary shows how a little encouragement can work wonders. 3 cans.
151. Carry-On* (2024, Netflix) – I’m not usually an action fan, but I found this film suspenseful AND improbable but enjoyable. Most of the things portrayed here could never happen; plenty of people here are in fights or get shot and just get up and carry on. Jason Bateman is a mysterious operative who wants to make sure a particular bag gets on a particular flight, and he sets up TSA agent Ethan (Taron Edgerton) by threatening to kill his pregnant girlfriend if he fails to follow Bateman’s instructions. The movie is like “Die Hard” but without the humor, and it takes place at Christmas time to help the viewer make that connection. As action films go, it has enough, but this isn’t a Liam Neeson movie. Worth seeing if you like action and suspense and can overlook the improbability. 3½ cans.
152. Conclave* (2024, Netflix) – There is quite a complex process to selecting a new Pope when one dies, and this suspenseful movie takes us behind the scenes as the candidates vie for the Papacy. Ralph Fiennes is Cardinal Lawrence, Dean of the Cardinals, and he is responsible for overseeing the secretive process. Stanley Tucci, as Cardinal Bellini, is lobbying for the job to keep the church from his nemesis, Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow). There are many secrets that could be exposed, questionable behavior and accusations going on outside the room where the Cardinals must cast their votes, and a surprise that I doubt any viewer could see coming. If you are interested in a taut and thought-provoking film, check out Conclave. 4 cans.
153. Later Daters* (2024, Netflix) – I like documentaries and true stories, and this Netflix series WAS produced by former First Lady Michelle Obama, but wow, this was NOT what I was expecting. The series focuses on several single people, all at least in their 50s, who are seeking life partners and working with a dating coach to improve the process and the outcomes. We get to see them meet their potential mates on blind dates (presumably set up by the Coach) and then report back for feedback and further coaching. Trust me when I tell you I am not here for the tips or the blind dates, only to observe – and there is a lot to see. Since we see these folks go out on several blind dates with different people, we get to know the cast better than the dates, and the cast can be pretty fussy (one woman was ready to reject her date because he wore a white T-shirt under his dress shirt), but they don’t have that much time! I guess my standards are slipping, now that I have watched this, The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette, but even I have to admit that there is something about these shows that drags me in. I think this one will be back for season 2, and I may or may not watch. But the real question is: What does Michelle Obama have to do with this? She’s not planning to dump Barack, is she? 3½ cans.
154. Juror #2* (2024, Max) – This legal thriller from Clint Eastwood harkens back to the classic “12 Angry Men.” Juror #2 is assigned to a case where a young woman is killed and her boyfriend is accused of the murder. They were in a bar, had a disagreement, stormed out, and the next thing you know…Only #2 isn’t sure the obvious answer is the obvious answer at all. This is a taut film with little to distract you from the plot as the principals and the audience try to figure out what will happen in the case. 3½ cans.
155. Virgin River, Season 6* (2024, Netflix) – The problem with these episodic series is that you can binge the entire season and then you have to wait for months (or more) to see the next season. But this comfortable, pleasant show is always worth watching. This season is all about the planned wedding of main characters Mel and Jack – with some roadblocks along the way. The season features rock slides, bad guys, doubts about relationships, ice sculptures, pregnant people, medical issues – the list goes on. There will be a seventh season, and I’ll be back for that one, too. 3½ cans.
156. Die Hard (1988, Hulu) – Christmas movie or not? Please discuss. I’m not a big fan of action movies but the wit and charm of lead actor Bruce Willis compensates for a lot. There is a holiday party at the Nakatomi building in Los Angeles where NYPD police detective John McClane is meeting his estranged wife when a group of sophisticated criminals raids the building to steal bearer bonds. Working alone, McClane is the only one who can save the day. Far-fetched, maybe, but still a captivating film that is chock full of machine guns and explosions and a barefoot McClane dodging the bad guys. And yes, I DO think of this as a Christmas movie. 4 cans.
157. The Six Triple 8* (2024, Netflix) – This heroic film is based on the story of the Army Battalion 6888, a group of 855 Black women who served in the Army during World War II. They were led by the commanding Captain Charity Adams (Kerry Washington), who was given the daunting task of going through 17 million pieces of undelivered mail intended for the soldiers that were being stored in rat-infested warehouses in overseas. And they had only months to do it. The job was tough enough, but the women in the unit experienced racism and sexism at the hands of male soldiers and even ranking officers. One of the soldiers is Lena (Ebony Obsidian), a woman who enlisted after her boyfriend was killed, to serve out the hitch he never completed. This is an inspiring story of determination and the sad story of Blacks being again overlooked and mistreated, things we never were taught in school. Thank you to producer Tyler Perry for telling us about this important piece of history. Expect some Oscar nods for this one. 4 cans.
158. Love Actually (2003, Prime Video) – You don’t have to twist my arm to get me to watch this delightful movie that takes place in England around Christmas time. Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Keira Knightly and others play characters who are somehow related to each other (I’m going to need an org chart) and who have interlocking stories of love. I couldn’t even say which character I like best because each one makes me smile (mostly). I actually love this movie. 5 cans.
159. Auntie Mame (1958, Cable) – Rosalind Russell stars as irrepressible Mame, who is unexpectedly charged with the care and upbringing of her young nephew Patrick when her brother passes away. She is rich, her brother was rich, and young Patrick is to be supervised by stuffy Dwight Babcock of the Knickerbocker Bank. Mame is unconventional and full of love for her “little love” Patrick. The story begins during the Roaring 20’s and soon the new family loses everything in the stock market crash of 1929. But Mame is indomitable and determined to give Patrick so many wonderful life experiences. Their bond cannot be broken, even by his eventual choice of a snooty girlfriend (which Mame cleverly handles). This is a charming movie that I have seen many times. This year, I treated myself to a viewing on New Year’s Eve. 4 cans.
160. Trading Places* (1983, Cable) – Funny man Eddie Murphy began to show his acting chops here, and he is brilliant. Dan Ackroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis and the rest of the cast measure up to his work. 42 years after its release, this movie is still in my top 5 comedies of all time, and it was a great way to end my year of Movies & More. 4½ cans.

My Favorites from 2024:

3. The Color Purple

13. The Greatest Night in Pop

20. James Brown: Say It Loud

36. Anatomy of a Fall

47. The Real Story of Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office

63. One Life

107. Daughters

125. Nobody Wants This

133. Superman (the Christopher Reeve story)

142. An Inside Man

152. Conclave

157. The 6888