October Offerings

1.    We should throw out those big eyecharts that hang on the wall of the optometrist’s office. Instead, let’s hand out the tiny instruction sheets that come with our electronic devices. I truly didn’t think fonts that small existed or could be printed. And since instructions are not all that intuitive and the buttons on the devices are as hard to see as the “manual,” I needed my trusty old magnifying glass to figure out how to charge and pair my new ear buds with my phone. If these documents were used to test our eyes, we would have a more accurate measurement of our sight! And have you resorted yet to taking a picture of something and enlarging it so you could read it? Last week I needed to replace a light bulb, but the markings on the old bulb were so hard to see that I had to take pictures and blow them up so I could identify the right bulb.
2.    I wish I could cook half as well as the chefs who get chopped on “Chopped.”
3.    I have about a zillion T-shirts in my collection and I have to restrain myself from buying more. But it is hard to resist when I see one that reads, “I’m really cold but I am trying to be brave.” Or “The day they handed out patience I left because it was taking too long.” Tempting!
4.    A real test of patience is when you send a text message to someone and can see that the recipient is typing a reply. How long will this take, you wonder? Is this going to be “Gone with the Wind” when you’re done? Come on, already, let’s see that reply!
5.    My sister is retired but she has so many appointments (doctors, physical therapy, etc., like the rest of us), that she says she takes a “personal day” every now and then and intentionally does not schedule anything!
6.    I know there is a lot of concern about artificial intelligence taking over. Until then, I am and will remain a devotee of Chat GPT. I use it often and am astounded by how quickly I receive a detailed response to whatever my question is. I prefer reading the directions it provides to watching a 10-minute YouTube video that I have to rewind and rewatch to understand. And it sure answers me so fast! 
7.    This time of year, NFL football is back on TV. Every Sunday, my mother would change the channel to CBS at 7 PM to watch “60 Minutes” and would be annoyed when the 4 PM game was still in progress, delaying her show. “Again with the football?” was her outcry. If you knew my mother, you can imagine her saying just that.
8.    Lately I have been awakening from my frequent afternoon naps not knowing where I am and thinking that I am supposed to be doing something (other than napping). I don’t think the naps are that long or the sleep that deep, but if I can’t immediately figure out where I am, maybe they are deeper than I thought.
9.    Why don’t road crews work on their projects during the summer, when traffic is lighter? You want to change the traffic lights? Do it when there’s less traffic! The main road through Hillsborough was blocked the other day practically in front of the high school, making it hard for buses, passenger cars and emergency vehicles to use the road without having to take a detour. In my next life, I want to be an engineer and figure out how to design more efficient roadways, parking lots, and even walking paths. And speaking of work for engineers, my sister has a drain in her backyard that the township recently added after years of her complaining about running and standing water in the part of her backyard that belongs to the township. They said they would put stones around it for drainage. So, what did they do? They covered the drain with stones, so now it can’t drain. And wait until it freezes in the winter. Do we civilians have to do everything? What are our tax dollars used for? I should have been an engineer!
10.    I’m tired of being so short. I can’t reach a light bulb even on a step stool to change it. Items above the first shelf in the kitchen cabinets are beyond my reach. Practically every pair of pants I buy has to be altered. It might be easier to have my legs lengthened! Now that it is the fall, with the sun rising early, I can’t see out of the windshield of the car because I’m too short for the visor to block the sun from blinding me. I need a phone book to sit on. Do we still publish phone books? Actually, I have a cushion that I will try.
11.    The speed limit in my “active adult community” is 25 MPH. But there are constant complaints about speeders – many of whom drive for FedEx or Amazon. I will concede that I see them zip by my house. But, as for the residents, I see more people here driving way BELOW the speed limit, not exceeding it. Too often I am stuck behind someone driving 12 miles an hour. Let’s not EXCEED the limit, but can we at least get close to it?
12.    I just saw a study that said that people who consume chocolate frequently are smarter and hotter than those who don’t. I have many friends who are willing to take part in any follow-up studies. Science, baby, science!
13.    In my travels to a new area (for me), I noticed a road marked “Search Road.” Imagine looking for that online. 
14.    My driveway was sealed recently and I was not allowed to drive or park on it for a few days. Just to be sure, well after the recommended waiting period, I paused the car in the street until the garage door was fully opened and then zoomed the car up the driveway so my wheels never stayed in one spot long enough to cause a dent or dip. It’s a good thing that my brakes work well or I might have overshot the garage and ended up with the car in the house.
15.    I went to ShopRite to pick up a few things. I popped my trunk and grabbed my shopping bags. I was halfway to the store when I realized I was carrying my gym bag with my wet bathing suit instead of my shopping bags. Duh!
16.    I’m really glad we don’t get graded in my aqua dance class. I can imagine the comments on my report card: Lacks musicality; has trouble learning the correct steps; needs help distinguishing her right from her left…My leg goes forward when it is supposed to go back, especially if we are doing something with our arms as well as our legs. I have a new respect for the ”Dancing With the Stars” contestants. How can they learn to do all of those steps and the routine to music while wearing heels and fancy costumes? I just hope I don’t fall over in the pool!
17.    With all of this aqua dance experience, I feel qualified to be a judge on “Dancing With the Stars.” Instead, earlier this week the show had sportscaster Joe Buck sit on the judging panel, largely because ESPN has the rights to the Super Bowl broadcast this year and he will be doing the game. The theme of the night was Super Bowl halftime music. It isn’t that Joe Buck did a bad job judging, but after watching every episode of every season, I would have done a great job critiquing the performances (watch your posture and those heel leads)! PS – I’m still willing and available.
18.    I finally stopped watching “Survivor” after 50 seasons! I had enough of the backstabbing, the lying, the challenges that had keys to unlock puzzle pieces, etc. I’m done, and I don’t miss it a bit. The “Amazing Race” is still on my viewing schedule, but I’m happy I “survived” 50 seasons of Jeff Probst and his dimples. It was nice while it lasted. 

Tina's September 2026 Movies and More

We just made it into double digits last month. I'm hoping for a better October. Meanwhile, movies and shows I had not seen previously are indicated with an asterisk and all entries are rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna fish. Numbering picks up from previous months.

100. 9-5 (1980, Netflix) – Dolly Parton’s vibrant title song could be the theme song for a generation of women fighting for equality. Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Parton play the overlooked and undervalued employees of a faceless corporate entity who decide to seek revenge for all of the bad behavior and unfair treatment they have had to endure at the hands of their male boss. Dabney Coleman is perfectly smarmy as their boss, purposely knocking over pencils so he can see Parton bend over to retrieve them. The women kidnap the boss and chaos ensues. Personally, I don’t care for the slapstick turn the movie takes, but I get the point. While the boss is “tied up” (quite literally), the ladies issue edicts under his name to institute “radical” reforms, such as equal pay and day care. The leading ladies do a great job, and the fact that this movie has had such staying power is a testament to the reality it portrays, even in the throes of silliness. Plus, that catchy song will endure forever. 3½ cans.
101. Top of the World* (2026, CNN) – What could be grander than a luxurious New York restaurant on top of the World Trade Center? Windows on the World featured fine dining and spectacular views of New York for its patrons. However, in the wake of the tragedy of 9/11, the restaurant crumbled to the ground along with the rest of its tower, killing all the employees who were already on duty, preparing food for that day’s customers. This documentary features interviews with surviving staffers who were not on duty or scheduled to start later in the day. The sense you get is of their pride at being part of the restaurant and their connections to each other as a “family,” long before the terrorist attack. 3 cans.
102. Decoy Plane* (2026, Netflix) – This very short documentary recounts the recent event involving President Trump secretly leaving Turkey via a plane that was not Air Force One, having been vacated via a catering truck along with a few key staffers. One way to determine your status in the Trump administration is to see if you were one of the people who were spirited off AF1 or were left aboard the original plane, which security officials speculated might come under attack. The subterfuge was to thwart any potential attack on the President, and no media members or others left in the dark even knew they were flying a plane that might be attacked. No comment. 3 cans.
103. 102 Minutes in the Towers* (2026, History Channel) – This documentary is a first-hand account by the people who were in the World Trade Center when the Twin Towers were hit by jet airplanes and subsequently crumbled to the earth. Police, firefighters, and employees who worked in the Towers all have incredibly moving stories to tell, delivering information I had never heard before. They describe the sound of the jets crashing into the buildings and of the collapsing towers, the feel of the smoke, the darkness, the chaos and debris they had to fight through just to get out alive. I have always thought about how many people were NOT killed and wondered how those people were able to survive both the plane crash and the buildings collapsing. It was truly a miracle that anyone got out alive. 4 cans.
104. Enemy of the State* (1998, Prime Video) – This is an action-adventure movie that really kept me glued to the TV (translation: I stayed mostly awake). Will Smith plays a lawyer who runs into a man who happens to have video of a corrupt government operation and gives it to him. When the government agents realize that Smith has the tape, they use every technique and device to track him down and retrieve it, and, if they ruin his life, so be it. Action packed! Pass the popcorn. 3½ cans.
105. Absence of Malice (1981, Prime Video) – Sally Field is a newspaper reporter wavering between her responsibility as a journalist and her ethics when she reports a story about a Miami man (Paul Newman) who may or not be involved with the Mob. Newman is excellent as the innocent man fighting to save his reputation while simultaneously condemning the news media for writing stories based on leaks and assumptions. These are two very appealing actors and the story is absorbing. 3½ cans.
106. A Killer Story* (2026, HBO Max) – This 3-part, true crime drama focuses not only on the murder of a couple (allegedly at the hands of his ex), but also on the investigative efforts of a husband and wife who are obsessed with this case. The amateur sleuths finally get the attention of a crime reporter whom they persuade to join them as they try to ferret out the truth and protect the accused, whom they are convinced is innocent. It takes decades for the case to end, and even then, I’m not convinced that the prosecutors, the jury or the people following the accused murder got it right. The truth is out there. 3½ cans.
107. Ted Lasso, season 4* (2026, Apple TV) – All good things must come to an end, and we all thought Ted Lasso (Jason Sudekis) did that after Season 3. But the folksy soccer coach returns to the pitch, this time to coach the Richmond Women’s team in England. Most of the cast are still on board but it was awkward (it seemed to me) to work them into this new environment. Some of the new characters grated on me while some of the established players just didn’t impress me much anymore. In fact, I quit watching after episode 5. Ted Lasso, it was fun while it lasted, but your goodbye should have been after season 3. 3 soccer balls.
108. Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette* (2026, Hulu) – This 9-part series traces the relationship between the enigmatic, handsome “Sexiest Man Alive” and a New York PR woman working for Calvin Klein. John F. Kennedy Jr. meets Carolyn Bessette and is definitely smitten, even though he is dating actress Darryl Hannah (much to mother Jacquelyn Kennedy’s dismay), and as soon as he and Hannah call it quits, JFK Jr. pursues the confident, independent Carolyn (Sarah Pidgeon). But no one could be prepared to face the press and the scrutiny that Kennedy attracted daily. Much of the story is about them dealing with how to handle the press, which John needs to make his new magazine, George, a success. It is tough watching a story where you know the ending; each scene is leading up to the plane crash that takes the lives of the couple and her sister, Lauren, in 1999. John’s taciturn sister Caroline (Grace Gummer), has a line about him not being measured by what he has accomplished but by what he would have become. I did not think I would like this story as much as I did, even knowing that dialog here is often just speculation since it wasn’t witnessed by a third party who could vouch for it. 3½ cans.
109. The Remains of the Day* (1993, Cable) – Long before Mr. Carson ran the estate at Downton Abbey, Mr. Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) was the butler for Darlington Hall in England. A perfectionist, he runs the house with efficiency and attention to detail, turning a blind eye to his employer’s political views and support for the Nazis leading up to WWII. Stevens has grown up in service and sees so little beyond his world and the responsibilities he takes so seriously. Even the arrival of the equally efficient Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson) as the head housekeeper (Mrs. Hughes in Downton) cannot distract him from his duties. I was rooting for a Stevens-Kenton relationship, but Stevens is too dedicated to his life running the house to let any personal feelings get in the way. The very saddest part of this movie has nothing to do with the plot; Christopher Reeve, looking robust and healthy, has a role as a US representative who participates in an important meeting. Seeing Reeve in his virile, handsome persona always makes me sad after his accident and subsequent death. This is a classic movie that I never mind watching again. 4 cans.
110. O Solo Mio* (2026, Hulu) – This is a sweet movie about elementary school teacher Matt (Kevin James), who has a big wedding planned only to be left at the altar in Italy by his bride with cold feet. She won’t answer his messages and he feels justifiably alone. Since he cannot get back the money he spent for his honeymoon, he decides to go anyway, touring Italy with a sad sack face that somehow attracts new friends. You feel sorry for the big lout, but the friendships he experiences – especially by the coffee house owner – make the experience bearable. Kevin’s Matt is a lovable lost soul, and the movie makes you root for him to find happiness. 3 cans.

September Stuff

1.    The definition of frustration is having a full quart of delicious Talenti gelato in the freezer and not being able to open it. I tried every technique and device I had on hand short of using a chainsaw and could not get it open. This is apparently a problem known by the Talenti folks, so it isn’t just me. Still, when I finally threw that gelato in the trash, I was not a happy girl!

2.    A window company recently emailed me to let me know that it is probably time to replace my windows. Their records indicate that my house was built in 1900. What? This house was built in 2015 and I have lived here ever since. Somebody is getting bad information!

3.    I’m always perplexed by the people selling windows in ShopRite. Does anyone go there thinking, “quart of milk, loaf of bread, new windows?” My standard response is “My house is new so I don’t need windows yet.” It is actually 11 years old, but I still don’t need windows!

4.    At my recent annual ophthalmology appointment, I was asked if I wanted the ophthalmologist to check my vision and glasses. Isn’t that what I am here for, I asked. I was told the doctor is there to examine the health of my eyes, and the vision exam is a separate procedure for which there is a separate charge (luckily, my insurance covers it). I had a feeling my vision had changed a little and the exam confirmed exactly what I suspected. But to be asked whether I wanted to have my vision tested by the eye doctor seemed so strange to me. Marcus Welby would just have done it, no questions asked!

5.    I don’t understand Hallmark’s business model. Aside from the TV channel and streaming of shows and corny movies, there are the Hallmark stores with their extensive holiday displays, gifts and great but expensive greeting cards. So why do they have another line of cards that they sell in the Dollar Store at two for a dollar? The cards are nice, and they say Hallmark on the back. The other day I bought a bunch for upcoming birthdays, spending less on six cards than I would have spent on one. Aren’t they competing with themselves? I would have had to buy the cards in a Hallmark store if they didn’t have a less expensive line at the Dollar Store!

6.    A friend of mine is so neat and fussy about her home that her son says if the house was on fire, she’d go around and make sure the beds were all made before evacuating.

7.    Since when did cream cheese get so fancy? The local bagel store near me offers plain, vegetable, honey walnut, jalapeno, scallion, strawberry, bacon & chives and Oreo. Oreo cream cheese?

8.    It’s a little early for Thanksgiving but tell that to the pack of 5 gigantic turkeys who were lounging on my patio and in my backyard the other day. I hollered at them, but they ignored me. I was tempted to show them a Shady Brooks Farm label to taunt them, but then they would have to get too close to read it. I finally started clanging on a pot with a wooden spoon and they eventually got the idea that they were not welcome here and got in a line and ambled over to my neighbor’s yard. Brazen buzzards!

9.    Most of us have a box of baking soda in the refrigerator to help eliminate odors. When was the last time you changed yours? There’s a spot on the box where you are supposed to note the date when it was placed in the fridge, but does anyone do that? Can baking soda go bad? What can possibly happen if it is past its expiration date? I wouldn’t recommend using it for baking, but if it is just there to absorb odors, I guess it might be less effective over time. Who thinks about changing that box?

10. The words TREAT and THREAT differ by just one letter, but there’s a big difference.

11. One of my dear friends surprised me this month by sending me a photo of a note she found while sorting through old letters. It was from 1985, sent to her by my mother to congratulate her on her new job in New York. Just to see my mother’s personalized notecard, her precise penmanship, her humor in the note, and the fact that she would take time to celebrate an accomplishment by someone who was NOT her daughter made me so happy and so proud. And the fact that my friend kept it for all this time because it was important to her really moved me. Her family always made me feel like I was one of them, and clearly my mother felt that way, too. We agreed that we were lucky to have such warm and wonderful parents and a friendship that is still going strong after more than 50 years.

12. Since the last time this blog came out, we have lost two women whose lives and influence will live on, making the world a better place. Dolly Parton was a giant in music and had an equally large presence in philanthropy. She wrote 3000 songs, including some of the world’s favorites, and wrote far more than 3000 checks to fund her Imagination Library to give books to children, to fund hospital care and medical research during the Covid crisis, to enable kids to go to college and so much more. She set up her Dollywood amusement park in her native Tennessee to bring joy and jobs to the people in the area. Her gifts will keep on giving for many years to come. In her own way, she was aligned with feminist and activist Gloria Steinem, founder of Ms Magazine and the proponent for equal rights and treatment of women. Steinem’s writing and her magazine were designed to make people – men AND women – think about inequalities and how they could be rectified. Parton’s anthem “9 to 5” was the musical representation of Steinem’s work. As the two of them take over Heaven, we are left here to celebrate and carry on their work.

13. It has been 25 years since the tragedy of September 11, 2001. That is one of the days when everyone who was alive remembers exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard about the two airplanes crashing into the World Trade Center's Twin Towers. I watched several shows recounting the heroic efforts of the NYC Fire and Police Departments as well as other rescuers and accounts by people who had been trapped in the Towers. Even after all of this time, these stories moved me to tears. I listened to the reading of the names of those who were lost in the attack and the moving story of how New Yorkers with boats converged in the harbor to evacuate the survivors who were stranded in lower Manhattan. A story that started with man’s inhumanity to man ended with people joining together on that day and subsequent days to demonstrate the best of mankind. It should not have to take a tragedy for people to come together and show love, kindness and respect for each other. Should it?

August 2026 Movies and More

There are plenty of new movies, series and documentaries in the August collection. Some are heartwarming (Don't Say Good Luck), some are sad (Steel Magnolias), ones is a repeat visit to a favorite (Friday Night Nights) and some simply soar (Thunderbirds). There are a few that show blatant lack of concern by big companies (E-Bay and Boeing) and even a one-woman stage show that I really enjoyed. Everything is rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 being the top rank. Those marked with an asterisk are ones I had not seen previously. Numbering picks up from prior months. This should keep you busy over the Labor Day weekend. 

86. Whatever It Takes: Inside the eBay Scandal* (2024, Prime Video) – What scandal? Did some eBay customer not receive the Beanie Babies they bought on the auction platform? No, this documentary is about a married couple of writers who reported on eBay, seeking to make it easier for buyers and sellers to do business on its platform. After a particularly critical series of reports, Ina and her husband suddenly started receiving strange packages, porn, nasty direct messages and other suspicious things and had no idea who would want to do them harm. It seems that eBay’s in-house security team objected to what they said online and took drastic action. Decisions that were made to torment the writers went up the chain of command, all the way to top of eBay, and the employees were told to do “whatever it takes” to stop their negative reporting on the company. This movie is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I found it very interesting. Surprise, surprise, the top execs who approved this egregious behavior got off scott free. Cyberstalking and real-life stalking are crimes, my friends. 3 cans.
87. Wordplay (2006, Prime Video) – If you do The New York Times crossword puzzle, you know that its long-time editor is Will Shortz. Every year for many years, he presided over the Annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in Connecticut, where devoted players gathered to compete. These people mean business and do the puzzle in PEN! Several of the champions are highlighted here as they compete for the crown. And puzzle constructor Merl Reagle shows how he comes up with these brain teasers. 3½ cans.
88. The Speed Cubers (2020, Netflix) – I can’t solve a Rubik’s Cube at all, no less in under 10 seconds. The young people who participate in Rubik’s Cube competition have some otherworldly skill to solve the puzzle – some even with one hand or while blindfolded. The stars of this documentary are very appealing characters. Champion Feliks Zemdegs is truly remarkable, not only for his ability but also for his generous nature in helping a younger contestant who is clearly a prodigy get through his social anxiety to enjoy the experience. This heartwarming documentary about Rubik’s Cubers is totally unexpected and totally wonderful. 4 cans.
89. Friday Night Lights, Seasons 2-5 (2006-2011, 76 episodes counting season 1, Prime Video) – This was my rewind of this wonderful series about growing up in a rural Texas town where high school football is the most important thing. But it is much broader than that as we experience the kids’ growth and maturity (or lack thereof), race relations, law and order, substance abuse problems, teenage pregnancy, corruption, etc., and watch them dream big dreams that are often shattered. Football Head Coach Eric Taylor and his school counselor wife Tammi (Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton) provide the moral grounding for a bunch of kids who are growing up in a single-parent household (or worse), some of whom who are poor and looking at football to get them into college or into the professional ranks. The acting is superb, the writing outstanding and, overall, this series ranks among the best ever to me. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose. 5 cans.
90. The Dynasty: UConn Huskies* (2026, Apple TV) – In the first few minutes of this new 3-part series on Apple TV, famed UConn Women’s Basketball Coach Geno Auriemma comes across just as you imagined he would if you follow women's basketball. He is a dictatorial bully who coaches, cajoles, pushes, criticizes and does everything he can to make his players be the best they can be, even if he sometimes crushes their spirits. He seems to know how far he can push them without breaking them, and his formula has proved to be very successful, with 1288 wins and 12 National Championships in his 41 seasons at UConn. He's a brilliant tactician and motivator, and his overwhelming desire for his players to be the absolute best they can be is laudable. I don't know, maybe it takes a lot of yelling and swearing and being deliberately mean to get the best out of people, but I know that would never work for me. You can't argue with his success, but his methods are tough to take. There is a hard look at his relationship with the late, legendary Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt. Geno resented her success and made it a mission to beat her whenever they faced each other. The series ends with the UConn's National Championship in 2025, but I would have liked to see his ridiculous behavior versus Dawn Staley this year. That episode showed his real character, and it was not pretty. 4 cans.
91. 9/11 Reunited* (2026, National Geographic) – When the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001 struck the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in the Washington, DC, area, thousands of innocent victims were killed, including heroic rescuers, firefighters and police personnel. Some people miraculously survived, many because of the efforts of rescuers and, sometimes, thanks to the civilians who stayed with them, dug them out and gave them hope. This 3-part documentary focuses on some of the survivors and the people who saved them, most of whom are reunited here for the first time since that horrific day. The stories of that day are poignant, as the rescuers feel they had to take action and the survivors remain eternally grateful. 4 cans.
92. Marc by Sophia* (2025, HBO) – Director Sofia Coppola trains her camera on fashion designer Marc Jacobs in her first documentary. Jacobs is deep into planning his fashion show, taking inspiration from iconic designers like Yves St. Laurent and Broadway legends like Bob Fosse and his shows. Jacobs is everywhere, fussing over the volume of the eyelashes being worn by his models, checking the gap between the outfit and the hair on one model, and adjusting and creating the stage set. And then there are the clothes, where he supervises design, fabrics, cut, fit and every other detail. I didn’t always understand his explanations for his decisions, but I can respect his appreciation for and dedication to design. This is, quite literally, a backstage look at an accomplished designer and his vision of beauty. 3½ cans.
93. Don’t Say Good Luck* (2026, Netflix) – Being a teenager is tough enough without your mother dying of cancer. Sophie Birenbaum (Sunny Sandler) is a nervous wreck, trying out for the school play and ultimately winning the lead in “Waitress.” Just as she is dedicating more of her time to the play (and crushing on the male lead), her mother (Melanie Lynskey) finds out that her cancer has returned. She is getting weaker and worse, and Sophie is torn between her role in the play and her role as a daughter. When Sophie sings “She Used to Be Mine,” the song has more meaning than originally intended. Sandler (daughter of Adam Sandler) does a great job with her role and demonstrates an excellent voice. This one is a winner. 3½ cans.
94. Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing* (2026, Netflix) – This documentary may be new but the story isn’t: Just another big company skimping on the details to maximize profits. Boeing was told again and again by its quality control staff that there were problems with reused or defective parts. Management not only ignored the warnings, but the whistleblowers were penalized for mentioning them. And the planes went down and lives of innocent people were lost. Was it a training issue? A quality issue? The plant was built in South Carolina to take advantage of its loose laws on unions, and the workforce was mostly local people with no prior experience in the airline industry.  One part of this story that hit home for me was when workers were asked if they would fly in the planes they helped to build, and many said they would not. The documentary does not treat top management kindly (rightfully so), pointing out their extremely high compensation and golden parachutes, especially in light of the failure of the airplanes and deaths of the people on board. This movie makes you shake your head and wonder how people can be so careless with the safety of others. 3½ cans.
95. Air Force Elite - Thunderbirds* (2026, Netflix) – This soaring documentary provides an in-depth view of the immensely talent pilots who are accepted to be Thunderbirds, the aerial unit for the Air Force. Imagine flying with such precision that these powerful flying machines and their pilots can perform such precise maneuvers that they are just inches apart. The pilots selected for this prestigious assignment train hard for at least a year and work closely with the team of people who are responsible for the care and maintenance of the planes. The flying sequences are spectacular. 3½ cans.
96. Steel Magnolias (1989, Cable TV) – In the wake of the passing of the inimitable Dolly Parton, I thought watching her performance in this sweet but sad story was the tonic I needed. Parton is in a great ensemble cast here along with Sally Field, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley Maclaine, Julia Roberts and Darryl Hannah. Field has the showy part as the mother of Roberts’ ill character, but Parton plays her role as Truvy, the town beautician, with humor and warmth and a shot of cornpone. The power of female friendship helps the characters get through the ultimate heartbreak. Their bonds run thick and deep and, in the end, are what will enable them to survive true tragedy. 4 cans.
97. Leanne – Season 2* (2026, Netflix) – Stand-up comic Leanne Morgan is back with the second season of her Southern fried sitcom here, along with Kristen Johnson as her sister and Celia Weston as her mother. Leanne is hitting 60 and worried enough by her aging parents living alone that she takes them into her house. Meanwhile, she faces the fall-out of her husband’s abrupt departure in season 1 to be with another woman, deals with her own feelings for an FBI agent who wants to make their relationship more permanent, and whether or not she should change her hairstyle to have bangs. Morgan seems more at ease in front of the camera this year, though her character still has a whiny, perplexed look on her face most of the time. This sitcom is moderately amusing, with the occasional quotable line. The cast is very good, but some of the characters are more annoying than amusing (the father and the ex-husband). The season features 10 episodes, with the 10th ending with no cliffhanger or any indication that it will return next year. If it does, I’ll watch. If not, nice try, Leanne. 3½ cans.
98. Nobody Cares: Laura Benanti* (2026, George Street Playhouse) – Broadway and TV actress Laura Benanti brings her one-woman show to the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick to remind us of the excitement of live theater. Through a combination of a funny monologue and clever songs, Benanti traces her rise from ingenue to perimenopause, though misogyny, 3 marriages and childbirth with amusing anecdotes. Now in her late 40s, Benanti moves her lithe body with grace and isn’t afraid to be bawdy. I will look at her in a different way when I see her playing a part on stage or TV from now on. 4 cans.
99. Death of the Preacher’s Wife* (2026, Netflix) – For all of the true crime stories I watch, I was surprised I wasn’t aware of this tale of a young woman who marries a dynamic preacher and falls completely under his spell. His views promote obedience by the wife to anything the husband says or wants, and he quotes scripture to validate his skewed view of the relationship between married partners. He interjects his homelife into his sermons, humiliating his wife and leading to her death. There was no way she was going to get out alive. This documentary has three parts, and they fly by as her situation gets increasing tragic as he controls her medication and commits her to a mental hospital to exert his control. 3½ cans.

 

 

On Second Thought...

1.    Welcome to Wild Kingdom – or at least that is what it feels like here these days. When I moved to this Active Adult Community 10 years ago, I knew there would be deer around. This area was once full of forests, and who in New Jersey hasn’t lived among the deer for years? They don’t even flinch when they see cars or pedestrians approaching. But lately, my neighbors have been reporting sightings of everything from foxes to wolves to coyotes. Last week I had to slow down the car to allow a bunch of turkeys (or possibly turkey buzzards) to pass. One person in our residents’ Google email group posted a picture of a coyote feasting on one of those birds. So now I only open my garage door and inside door when I pull the car out. Otherwise, who knows what is going to run in? Marlon Perkins, where are you?
2.    After a beautiful July 4, who would have guessed that the hazardous air quality from Canadian fires would make going outside nearly impossible just two weeks later? And no one could have predicted that ice cream and cake would be health foods compared to bacteria-laden lettuce and other vegetables that have caused explosive diarrhea. Oreos would never do that to us. Bad time for salad bars.
3.    The summer FLIES by. It is barely Memorial Day and then July 4th comes before you can blink. Then all the Back-to-School stuff appears on the shelves everywhere, bathing suits are replaced by jackets and coats, Labor Day sales start and so does school. The buses will be back on the road before you know it and ice cream season will be over (we can disagree on that, but I have my rules). If Costco doesn’t have its Christmas merchandise up by now, at least I know I can buy a Halloween costume and plenty of candy. I just wish winter would pass by this quickly.
4.    I was buying cold medicine the other day and the nice, young cashier smiled at me and said, “I need to see your ID.” She knew how ludicrous it was to check the license of a 75-year-old woman, but she was just doing her job. I asked her what the age restriction was, and she wasn’t sure if it required the buyer to be 18 or 21. In either case, I was qualified.
5.    I think I have finally reached the stage of life where I no longer own any clothing originally purchased at Korvettes or Caldor. Kohl’s is another story.
6.    I wish I could remember the important things as well as I can remember the lyrics to every Motown song. Wait – Those ARE the important things!
7.    This sounds like a pretty lame excuse for not paying something, but for the first time in my life, I ran out of checks. Out. Completely. And I discovered this fact when I wrote out a check for a local event and realized that not only were there no checks remaining in that checkbook, but there were no more checkbooks in the drawer. How could that happen, you ask? I so rarely write checks anymore that if I got that notice on the most recent pack, it would have been 2 years ago. I started the last batch in 2024! So now I ordered more and am hoping I don’t need to pay by check for a service call or to reimburse a friend until they arrive. This next batch should last me for the rest of my life at this rate! Meanwhile, I will pay online and use Venmo as I have been doing. PS – Rest easy; the new checks arrived in Saturday’s mail.
8.    Why am I seeing Dubai chocolate being touted in the supermarket these days? Chocolate from Hershey, PA, wasn’t good enough?
9.    I saw a guy in the airport with his shoe untied. The laces were long and thick and kept flopping around behind and in front of him. It took all my restraint not to flag him down and say, “Dude, how can you not see that your shoe is untied? Tie it or you will trip over it!”
10.    Also in the airport, the guy in front of me in the line for Boarding group 2, standing under the big green sign that said, “Boarding Group 2,” turned around and asked, “Where is Boarding Group 2?” You can’t make this stuff up!
11.    As we get older, we experience many new sensations – new aches and pains, and limitations on what we can and cannot do. But here’s a new one: A friend told me she sneezed so hard that she lost her train of thought. Mine is often among the missing, too, but I don’t think I sneezed it away!
12.    Sometimes I cough and someone thinks I sneezed and they bless me for the sneeze, and then I have to explain it wasn’t a sneeze but a cough, which for some reason, has no status as bless-worthy. But why? I’ll take all the blessings I can get!
13.    Recently I saw a TV commercial for Planters Peanuts, and it reminded me of the old Planters Peanuts store that was located on Route 22 for many years. There was someone dressed as Mr. Peanut who had to stand outside the door gyrating to draw customers inside. Not only did they sell all kinds of nuts, but there was plenty of nut-related merchandise, like Mr. Peanut mugs, glasses and cute kitchen accessories. Maybe they dropped that live promo because no one was nuts enough to flail around outside in a Mr. Peanut outfit all year long. 
14.    I don’t mind going to doctors who don’t take your blood pressure or make you get on the scale. Like my Retina specialist. No scale or BP for him. He just sticks a needle in my eye. Yuck, right?
15.    After having had my left knee replaced in 2025, I am now a graduate of the Joint Replacement Surgical unit at my local hospital where the surgery took place. I recently received an invitation to a dinner for fellow joint replacement patients where we can compare notes and experiences – and I can even bring a guest. Why would I want to compare scars with other knee patients? Would we discuss learning to use a walker? A high toilet seat? How much pain and swelling we had? I don’t want to relive that experience! The staff wants to feed us and then pump us for information on our experiences. What will they serve? Leg of lamb? I’ll pass.
16.    This isn’t mine but it is too good not to share – I wonder if my recorded call was ever used for quality or training purposes as they tell you when your customer service call is answered. They also tell you to listen carefully because some of the options may have changed. I’d like them to know that I didn’t memorize the last set of options so I have to listen carefully to know what button to press.
17.    I signed up to get alerts about local road conditions and weather issues in my area, so now I know when random streets that I have never heard of in my town or the rest of the county are closed. And I’m informed about traffic snarls in neighboring towns that I never drive to. I could turn off the alerts, but every one in every 100 messages might just be one I need to see.