See You in September!

1. Now that we have to do practically everything online, why do I still have so much paper in this house? Remember when you would write a check with those carbonless copies and retain the copy? Or when you received the cashed checks back to retain them for your files? I had copies of checks from banks that no longer exist. I purged them all (or so I thought) each time I moved, but there would always seem to be a few that came along for the ride. I also used to save the receipts I got from the ATM machine; now they aren’t available. So at least a few sources of paper have been eliminated, but why do I still have so much?
2. My local ShopRite is reorganizing the aisles in the store. I wish they would ask me if they are doing it right. Just when I finally can remember where the Parmalat milk is located, they are going to move it again. Some of us are creatures of habit, so please don’t change anything!
3. The guy checking out ahead of me at ShopRite the other day had no bags to put his groceries in, he forgot his ShopRite card AND his glasses, so he couldn’t see well enough to enter his phone number into the terminal for identification. What a mess!
4. This morning I heard the song that my freshman year roommate at Douglass selected as her wedding song at her nuptials after her sophomore year – “Run Around Sue.” I don’t think the marriage lasted much longer than the song!
5. What does an emu have to do with insurance? That Liberty Insurance commercial with Lemu the Emu is so annoying! But I guess it is effective since I remember the company name.
6. Remember when you could go to the “Travel Size” bins in the store and find deodorant, shampoo and other necessities for 99 cents? Man, those days are over. You might as well buy the full size and portion it into a smaller bottle. I know I’m not paying $4 for a tiny bottle of shampoo!
7. This summer was filled with tennis watching for me. I watched Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in the French Open and then lose to him at Wimbledon. They were matched up again at the US Open, with Alcaraz taking the crown. Sinner is 24 and Alcaraz 22. If they stay healthy, these two superb players will be providing tennis fans with about 15 more years of great tennis.
8. Do you think the term “cul de sac” is actually French? I don’t remember that phrase from the 4 years of French I had in high school.  Of course, I can barely remember that I TOOK 4 years of French in high school! It has been 57 years since I graduated from good old Somerville High School – SHS, we are the best! Pioneers forever!
9. I can’t seem to open anything these days – bottles and wrapped food seem impenetrable to me. When the package claims it is “Easy to open,” I know I’m in trouble. A wrench, pliers, bottle openers, rubber thingys – nothing seems to help. I’m losing my competence and confidence at the same time!
10. I love to watch food shows on TV, whether they feature competitions or highlight specific chefs at restaurants, diners, drive-ins and dives. I find it fascinating that chefs can take random ingredients and, using their culinary know-how, create mouth-watering dishes. The only drawback of these shows is that I can’t TASTE the food. I wish I had a fork and a way to grab a bite of these delicious-looking concoctions.
11. As I said, I love the food shows, but the Halloween baking shows with scary and spooky cakes are not my thing. I’m already scared by the thought of the calories these concoctions carry!
12. My credit card was "compromised" recently so I had to notify the credit card company so they could send me a new one. The new one doesn’t expire until 2030. Let’s hope I don’t expire before the card does! And what a pain! I had to try to recall all of the subscriptions, etc., that bill directly to that card, including EZPass, Norton, Sirius radio, Microsoft, media and newspapers and so on. Our technology is wonderful – except when it isn’t.
13. I had a RING camera installed at my front door. The thing works fine, except that it gets all excited when the lawn service guy rides by on the mower. It can’t wait to let me know there is someone at my door – repeatedly! Thank God I figured out how to turn off the audio!
14. Sometimes it pays to be a hoarder. I always stashed away most of the clothes I outgrew, thinking that someday I might fit into them again. After a considerable weight loss this year, I have gone shopping in the bins in the basement where jeans of every size have sat patiently waiting for an eventual reunion, and that time is now. (Classic jeans don’t go out of style, right?) But will I store the jeans that are too large in case I need them again in the future – God forbid? Who knows? I have already traipsed to Good Will several times to donate some of the clothes – even things that now fit but which I know I won’t wear again. Even things that I never wore and still have the tags on. But the rest can relax until I make up my mind. I’m just glad I kept the stuff I didn’t think I would ever be able to wear again!
15. I’m going to be 75 in October (even I can’t believe it), but I still have a collection of baseball caps and sweatshirts that I don’t recall my mother wearing when she hit 70, so I really don’t look or feel my age. Except that body parts are failing (hence my left knee replacement in May with the right knee replacement looming) and my hair is no longer thick and full. I have less hair on my head and more on my chin, and I object to this age-related transition. I also object to hearing the phrase, “Considering your age…” from doctors who want us to just accept that we are getting older. Aging isn’t easy, but it beats the alternative!
16. After a year apart, a knee replacement for each of us and various health challenges that made a get-together impossible, reuniting with my BFF this month was especially sweet. We have been friends since the first day of our freshman year at Douglass, 57 years and counting, and except for during the pandemic, we have never gone this long without seeing each other. I took my new knee to the highway and headed her way, arriving stiff but intact 4 hours later. Seeing her was well worth the trip.

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Tina's August 2025 Movies & More

This month's collection features murder mysteries, sure-bets with Tom Hanks and Helen Mirren, the debut of a funny series with a bright comedian, documentaries about an iconic sports star and a man whose tragic end deprives us of a promising future and many more. You have an extra day this weekend so use it wisely. Those items marked with an asterisk were new to me. Numbering picks up from previous months, and all entries are rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 as the top rating. If you leave a comment, feel free to include your name at the end so I'll know who you are. Or not. 

86. Leanne* (2025, Netflix) – I am a big fan of comedian Leanne Morgan, a down-home woman from Tennessee whose act focuses on her family and is easily relatable for women in their 50s. Her new sitcom capitalizes on her experiences but broadens the scope, as she deals with a cheating husband, aging parents, grown children and her sometimes wild sister (Kristen Johnson). I binged all 16 episodes the day it was released (each one is only around 20 minutes), and it grew on me. There is plenty of contemporary humor and references to make it fresh and funny. This show isn’t a classic comedy like Friends, but I found it cute and funny. Leanne always looks perplexed by the events going on around her, and Kristen Johnson’s Southern accent seemed to drift in and out, but the show is well-cast and amusing. Whenever season 2 comes around, I’ll be ready to binge. 3½ cans.
87. The Rebound* (Netflix, 2008) – Sandy (a stunning Catherine Zeta-Jones) is a dedicated, suburban, stay-at-home wife and mom to two young children when she catches her husband cheating on her. She quickly divorces him and moves with her kids to New York City. She almost immediately gets a good job and hires Arum Finklestein (Justin Bartha), the 25-year-old kid from the nearby coffee shop, to babysit her children. After going out on a series of disastrous fix-up dates, she realizes that she would rather spend her time at home. Arum is adorable, great with the kids – and 15 years younger than Sandy. Do I have to spell it out for you? This wasn’t a great movie, but it was light and sweet and I enjoyed it. 3½ cans.
88. Taurasi* (2025, Prime Video) -- Love her or hate her, Diana Taurasi is one of one when it comes to basketball. She's a fiery competitor who will knock down opponents and 3-pointers. She was always barking at the refs and was known to “welcome” new players to the WNBA with an elbow to the gut. 6-time Olympic Gold Medalist, 3-time WNBA Champ with Phoenix, 3-time National Champ with UConn, Taurasi retired this year as the all-time scoring leader in the WNBA. This 3-part documentary tells the story of a woman who loved playing basketball and became an icon. 3½ cans.
89. Mr. and Mrs. Murder* (2025,Huly) – Two young, vibrant couples, close friends and hunting buddies, seem happy, until suddenly one of them disappears, apparently drowned while hunting ducks alone on a nearby lake filled with alligators. That sounds like a fairly simple case, although no body was found. The assumption was that the gators got him. Or did they? This is a captivating documentary that covers years of investigation by the authorities, urged on by the dead man’s family and the wife of the other couple. 3½ cans.
90. Sullivan’s Crossing, Season 3* (2025, Netflix) – I discovered this show recently, when Netflix began streaming seasons 1 & 2. Now the third season of popular program about a closeknit community in Nova Scotia is available so I continued watching. Despite its predictable plots, it is a pleasant show with characters you become invested in. Inevitably, someone will face a big accident or a disease; there will be a natural disaster of some sort; and the main character, Sully (Scott Patterson), will almost lose his beloved campground for whatever reason, only to have things work out in the end. And you can count on Dr. Maggie Sullivan (Megan Cohan) and her love Cal (Chad Michael Murray) to go through relationship woes, but somehow it all stays together, despite the evidence of any visible means of support for the former doctor and lawyer. Season 3 ended on a big cliffhanger, but season 4 hasn’t even been produced yet, so it looks like a long time before we find out what happened. I’m ready when they are. 3½ cans.
91. Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser* (2025, Netflix) – I will admit that I was a faithful follower of NBC’s reality show about obese people trying to lose weight. In most cases, they did just that, sometimes shedding more than half of their body weight. It always struck me that if someone gets on the scale and is down 26 pounds in a week, that cannot be healthy. These folks not only ate a restricted number of calories, but the trainers on the show – Bob and Jillian – pushed them beyond reasonable limits, forcing them to exercise for up to 8 hours a day, shaming them and shouting in their faces, all under the guise of helping them. Many of them ended their stint on the show with slim, trim bodies, and some remained that way after the show ended, but not everyone. Featured in this 3-part documentary were some people who kept the weight off, while others looked heavier than ever. The producers of “The Biggest Loser” were there to make a TV show, not to provide medical guidance. They, as well as the trainers, come across badly in this show, in some cases pushing caffeine pills, and in other cases just humiliating the contestants. This is NOT the way to lose weight! 3½ cans.
92. American Prince: JFK Jr.* (2025, CNN) – The Kennedy family has always been intriguing, filled with possibilities and tragedy. This 3-part look at John F. Kennedy Jr. covers mostly his last few years, when he decided to start a political magazine called George. He married Carolyn Bessette, tried to avoid the paparazzi and ultimately was killed while flying his wife and her sister to a family wedding in Massachusetts. The program includes interviews with his friends and associates and the wife of his late cousin, Anthony Radziwill, his best friend. This rugged, handsome and charming young man was just entering the prime of his life. Would he have entered politics, the family business, and become an important figure? Who knows? But the loss of such a vibrant man with endless possibilities remains a painful piece of Kennedy history. 3½ cans.
93. Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print* (2025, HBO) – 50 years ago, women’s magazines featured articles on recipes, fashion, taking care of the home and catering to the husband or family. Then along came Ms. Founded by writer Gloria Steinem and other feminists, Ms. tackled subjects that previously were overlooked or ignored, such as equal pay and rights for women, abortion, domestic violence and sexual harassment. Many women felt affected by these topics, most of which were not discussed publicly. This documentary traces the founding and development of Ms. Magazine and its importance in opening up dialogue and giving women a voice. It is sad that so many of society’s ills and inequities still exist today. Don’t get me started! 3½ cans.
94. A Man Named Otto (2022, HBO) – Starting my day with almost any Tom Hanks movie is a good thing. Here Hanks is taciturn Otto, a widower living in a community and fending off developers who want the land to build luxury condos. Otto makes his daily rounds, sorting out recycling gone wrong, enforcing the community rules and refusing to engage with strangers and even most neighbors. Eccentric? Yes, until Marisol and Tommy move across the street. They somehow penetrate his shell and open him up to having a life again since he is still mourning the death of his beloved wife. He even adopts a cat. I never read the book this movie is based on, but the film stands on its own merits, with Tom Hanks doing his best to be an ornery old man. 4 cans.
95. Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022, HBO) – It was nice visiting my Downton friends again, and I felt like rewatching this movie was a prerequisite for the new Downton movies due in theaters in September. The plot is constructed to give each player a chance to be featured. The Dowager Countess (Dame Maggie Smith) unexpectedly inherits a villa in the South of France from an old suitor and several members of the family go to check the place out. Meanwhile, back at Downton, Lady Mary is supervising a movie crew that is using the estate for a silent movie, much to the delight of the servants who are enamored with the idea of movie stars in their home and much to the consternation of former butler Mr. Carson, who is shipped off to France to stay out of the producer’s hair. The Crawleys need the money: the Downton roof is leaking, and the producers offer plenty of cash to cover its replacement. Is Lord Grantham actually the son of Violet’s suitor; will married Lady Mary fall for the dashing director in the absence of her traveling husband; and is loyal servant-turned local schoolmaster Mosley capable of doctoring the movie script? Creator Julian Fellowes promises that the new Downton Abbey movie is the last Downton Abbey movie, and I have its debut date marked on my calendar. 3½ cans.
96. Thursday Murder Club* (2025, Netflix) – There aren’t that many roles for actors of a certain age, so grouping together such notable performers as Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie in a movie that shows they aren’t quite over the hill yet seemed like a good idea, I guess. I also guess that this movie about the residents of a lovely British retirement home who enjoy solving murders will be the first of a franchise. Mirren steals the show. 3 cans.