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.
 

July 2026 Movies and More

The 15 shows I watched in July included several sports movies or series, a few that celebrated female friendship, and some made from books that were probably better than the movies produced from them. All programs are rated from 1-5 cans, with 5 being the top rating. Shows I had not seen previously are marked with an asterisk. Numbering picks up from previous months.

71. Lorne* (2026, Peacock) – In 1975, a new late-night program debuted on NBC led by producer Lorne Michaels. 50 years later, Saturday Night Live is still on the air, helmed for most of that time by Michaels. Lorne is the boss, determining what and who is funny on a program as well celebrated for its legions of writers and actors as for its longevity. Lorne is the unquestioned leader, with the knack for finding talent and laughs and bringing talent such as Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Dan Ackroyd and Gilda Radner into our homes. Producing this show isn’t easy but Lorne has done it for almost the entire run. 3½ cans.
72. The Oranges* (2011, Peacock) – Two families living in suburban West Orange, NJ, are the best of friends. But when the father of one family (Hugh Laurie) begins an affair with the daughter of the other family (Leighton Meister), both families are thrown way off. Good cast (Allison Janney, Oliver Platt, Catherine Keener, Adam Broady) but overall, not worth watching. 2 cans.
73. Aces: The ATP No. 1 Club* (2026, Prime Video) – In the history of rankings for men’s tennis, only 29 players have reached the # 1 ranking, as determined by computer standings. Getting to that spot and staying there requires plenty of success, skill, determination and immense talent. This 4-part documentary features interviews with each of the men who made it to the top, all with different styles and different results. The intense rivalries between Connors and McEnroe, Agassi and Sampras, and the Big Three of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are highlighted here. It seems that just as a rivalry has about run its course, along comes the next pair – today it is Carlos Alcaraz and Jannick Sinner – to continue the excitement and superb play. If you are a long-time tennis fan, don’t miss this fun look back. 4 cans.
74. Sullivan’s Crossing, Season 4* (2026, Netflix) – They’re back – minus Sullivan himself, Scott Patterson, who experienced “creative differences” – for another season of small-town drama. A new character joins the party this year as Maggie’s previously-unknown husband Liam shows up. She thought their marriage was annulled -- but not so fast. Now there is a rivalry between good guy Cal (Chad Michael Murray) and possible bad guy Liam. There are plenty of entanglements this season, but one that involves a teenaged boy and his ill sister, Ben and Tracy, who have been abandoned by their mother (I smell a new character coming next season) and they occupy an inordinate amount of time with the Sullivan’s Crossing folks. No one at the Crossing seems entirely satisfied with their lives, including every one of the main characters except the Native American couple. Somehow, this show seems to keep me coming back, despite its shortcomings. 3½ cans.
75. Imperfect Women* (2026, Apple TV) – Eleanor, Nancy and Mary (Kerry Washington, Kate Mara and Elisabeth Moss) are soulmates who met in college and have remained close friends years later. However, they have shared a little more than they have admitted to in this psychological thriller. And when one dies early in the 8-part series, the others are determined to peel back the layers and figure out whodunit. This series is the equivalent of a “page turner” book, where you want to devour the plot and get to the payoff. To say more would give away the plot, so I’ll just recommend you watch it for yourself. It is not the best series I have seen, but I sure got hooked! 3½ cans.
76. Five-Star Weekend* (2026, Peacock) – Author Elin Hilderbrand turns out this interesting story of 5 women, led by food influencer Hollis (Jennifer Garner), who gather in Nantucket to help Hollis recover from the sudden loss of her husband a few months earlier. She invites women from various phases of her life, plans activities and food with the precision of Martha Stewart and generally wants to forget her troubles with pajama dance parties and Saturday shopping sprees. But as in the above series, there are layers of betrayal and resentment that bubble up as the ladies try to deal with new realities and their changed lives. 3½ cans.
77. Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea* (2026, Netflix) – If you are trying to decide whether you should take a cruise, don’t watch this documentary. In 2012, the Costa Concordia hit a big rock and eventually sank, costing the lives of 32 passengers and crew because the ship was neither ready to handle such a disaster nor truthful with the passengers. This documentary uses the accounts of actual passengers and crew members to describe the terror of the event and how poorly the ship’s captain dealt with it. Footage from the evening and transcripts of communications between the captain, the crew, the passengers and the ship line itself paint a picture of criminal ineptitude. Scary, but fascinating. 3½ cans.
78. I Will Find You* (2026, Netflix) – This 8-part series is based on a novel by mystery writer Harlan Cobren about a man serving a term in prison for the death of his little boy. He swears he didn’t kill the child, but he feels so guilty for not being able to protect the toddler that he wants to rot in prison and be left alone. But he gets word that his son might not be dead after all, and the “bad guys” have plotted against him for reasons that are at once sinister and unknown. Sam Worthington is David Burroughs, the prisoner who suddenly gets help from his sister-in-law Rachel (Britt Mills) and her wealthy friend Hayden (Milo Ventimiglia). Gripping story, but you have to overlook David’s abilities to outfox and police and the bad guys to make this credible. 3½ cans.
79. Reminders of Him* (2026, Peacock) – Kenna is released from prison after serving time for the death of her boyfriend Scotty in a car accident. She has no money, no job, no car, no phone – and worse, she knows the 5-year-old daughter she gave birth to in prison is living with her late boyfriend’s parents, who want nothing to do with her. She strikes up a friendship with Laughlin, her late boyfriend’s best friend, who lives across the street from the little girl and her grandparents and treats the little girl like his own. Will Kenna get to meet the toddler and show that she wants to be a responsible mother? Not hard to figure out. This is based on a novel by Colleen Hoover that I did not read, but I hope it was better than the movie. 2½ cans. 
80. Quarterback, Season 3* (2026, Netflix) – Once a year we are treated to a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at four NFL quarterbacks, their ups and downs, their successes and failures, their families and their toughest challenges. This year focuses on 2025 Titan rookie Cam Ward, second-year QB Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders; veteran Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and old pro Joe Flacco, a 40-year old finding a last-minute spot with Cincinnati. Being a QB is a tough job, as these men have to know their plays, know their teammates’ skills and know how to go down on the ground without getting hurt – which was not the case this season. The only thing I don’t like about this series is that we have to wait for a whole year before it comes back with new players, as the episodes are recorded throughout one NFL season. I loved it. 4 cans.
81. Scorsese* (2026, Apple TV) – This 5-part documentary on director Martin Scorsese is a comprehensive look at his work turning out such masterpieces as “Raging Bull,” “Goodfellas,” “Taxi Driver” “Mean Streets” and countless collaborations with actors Robert DeNiro and Leonardo DiCaprio. Scorsese was brought up in the mean streets of New York and knew many of the characters upon which his movies are based. If you’re going to spend this much time learning about the man, you’d be better off watching some of his movies. 4 cans.
82. Dutton Ranch, Season 1* (2026, Paramount+) – There hasn’t been a strong woman like this on a TV series since Olivia Pope was running Washington in “Scandal.” Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), raised by her now late father John, has left Montana to start over in Texas with her loving but taciturn husband Rip (Cole Hauser) and the young man they have taken in in this sequel to “Yellowstone.” Texas has a whole new set of challenges, with a neighboring ranch headed by Beulah Jackson, played by the unlikely choice of Annette Bening. There is a long list of cowboys and ranch hands here, many of whom looked alike to me. I watched the 9-part season but doubt I will be back next time to see people shooting at and killing each other with an overflow of testosterone. One key part of the plot isn’t revealed until late in the season and seemed preposterous to me, but what do I know about herding cattle? 3½ cans.
83. Life in the W* (2026, ESPN) – This six-part series is clearly not for everyone, but since I love anything behind-the-scenes and because I am a basketball junkie, it was perfect for me. Like the Netflix series “Quarterback” about NFL players, here we are treated to a look at the home and work lives of three outstanding WNBA stars – four-time MVP Aja Wilson, rising superstar Napheesa Collier and 38-year old DeWanna Bonner – as they play throughout the 2025 season. All have significant others and two of the three are mothers. Balancing the demands of the life of a professional athlete with children, working out, managing injuries, hoping to take their teams to the championship are the goals they share. This life as a pro athlete is difficult, and they are always asking themselves if they are doing it right. They are. 4 cans.
84. Friday Night Lights, Season 1 (2006, Prime Video) – I decided to rewatch this wonderful series about life – and high school football – in a tiny Texas town. The first season brings the drama of the star quarterback taking a devastating hit and becoming paraplegic in the very first episode. The people in the town of Dillon, Texas, live for the Dillon Panthers, led by first year head coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler). He and his wife Tammy (Connie Britton) have one of the best marriages ever depicted on the small screen. This series, which runs five seasons, is about so much more than football. It is about growing up and living in a small town, defining the qualities of life that will determine the future for these people, their loves and break-ups, their mistakes and growth… I could go on, but I suggest watching it if you have not already or rewatching it if you have. 4½ cans.

85. A Toxic Love Story* (2026, Netflix) – This true-life documentary revolves around a couple who are being harassed and threatened by what seems to be his former live-in girlfriend. They work with the police to get restraining orders to stop the behavior, but it continues to make their lives miserable. But not all is what it seems to be in this twisted tale, proving once again that truth is stranger than fiction. 3½ cans.