Grundoon59

Episode 15.15 - It's a Wonderful Game I liked the episode - great to see George again and glad Milo admitted that he had been kind of a jerk. Oh course mainly glad that Watts was okay (I am surprised that the miscreant couldn't feel me zapping him with laser beams from my eyes for hurting LLewellyn like that). Loved that Brackenreid got to them in time and his banter with Watts. Enjoyed the basketball based plot and William being so doubtful that the game could be invented. The cameo didn't do much for me but I can understand what Raptors fans would enjoy it. I admit my mind drifted for a bit - did they tell us exactly where Jack was living now? I agree it seemed an interesting arrangement. I am assuming no new episodes until after the Olympics since I didn't see previews. Looking forward to getting to the first couple of episodes of the season that I missed on Ovation/Acorn.

I will now have this song playing in my head while I am waiting downtown in a railway station (aka on my drive home this evening).

4/5 with 2A* and 1* - On Monday, I got stuck on Smithson for Smithsonian even though I knew the dates were wrong and I was sure that wasn't where the Columbian exposition was. I love the Field Museum but could not get my brain in gear to answer. The rest of the week kind of fell into place for me somehow. Tuesday was an educated guess since I couldn't think of any other answer. Bangladesh was an Instaget although I am not entirely sure why but I will always remember it because of my 8th grade Social Studies teacher, Mrs. Rutkowski. She always had us discuss current events and one day she came into class saying, now who can tell me about the new country we gained yesterday? Gilbert Stuart popped into my head just because of the portrait and the timing seemed right. I am a child of the 70s - John Denver seemed correct (although I did briefly wonder did Puff the Magic Dragon become a state song?)

Episode 15.14 - Rawhide Ralph I am also not convinced that Ralph is gone forever - I thought maybe I just lost track but we never did find out what his plan for the body in the closet was, right?

Six Degrees of Separation is one of my favorite plays (and movies) so it made me very sad that is was a TS. I was too tired to try to watch the film last night but I think I know what my Saturday night viewing will be. I am of the right generation for FJ to be an instaget but now thanks to reading the comments, I think the Gilligan's Island theme will be playing in my head all day (probably alternating with Amazing Grace since you can sing them both in the same rhythm).

Right there with you both @Snow Apple and @bad things are bad. I still miss The Kids are Alright. It is also one of my watch when I need a laugh shows and is another reason why I get nervous about becoming a fan of a new show - I am worried that it will go away too soon. Also why I did my happy dance (and didn't care if anyone was watching) when I heard that Ghosts was renewed. These days we have to embrace the "happy" whenever we can.

This made me so happy this week that I watched the video multiple times and somehow got to tweets that Mark Hamill was sending out saying how much he loved the show and how he had worried by loving it so much, he had jinxed it somehow (a feeling I know all too well). The cast seemed really amazed and pleased to hear from him about the show. I will savor every episode and know that it will be a series I will watch over and over again whenever I need cheering up.

There was an ad today showing Rhone going for the "true" daily double today that was supposed to make you wonder if this was going to be the day but when he got the first one wrong, I wondered if it was a double bluff. (I am actually just glad I got to see the game because our governor did her State of the State at 7 o'clock but it just preempted Wheel and not Jeopardy). It was a great run for Amy who I admired rather than liked while being amazed at the breadth of her knowledge. She also met my number one criteria tonight - lose at least as graciously as you win if not more so - for that reason alone, I can root for her in the Tournament of Champions or any other future appearances.

Episode 15.14 - Rawhide Ralph Ralph Fellows - love the actor, not crazy about the character. This was not my favorite episode (felt a little too disjointed) although it did have some good moments. It may be because I wasn't able to watch the first episode of the season (either part) but I was confused by certain story elements (looking forward to catching up next month with Ovation and/or Acorn and may change my opinion on this episode). On the Plus side - Julia was of course great and I mostly liked Murdoch's son [sorry his name is escaping me at the moment]. Always love Watts and Higgins was wonderful - it shows what he can do given a chance with non-Newsome material. Still haven't quite figured out all the dynamics with Mrs. Hart and her husband but I care enough about her to want her to win the battle that seems to be coming. Liked the ambiguity of the case involving Jack's wife - not resolved and not clear who the villain was (anyone else wonder what the deal was with the neighbor lady?) On the not so Plus side - Where the heck was Brackenreid? If we got an explanation, I missed it and it seemed odd for him to be missing when both detectives had personal interests in their cases. Also for the first time, wasn't crazy about Milo Strange - I realize he is very comfortable in his skin (and I think that is great) but he wasn't at all sympathetic to Watts' position/situation and a couple of his remarks seemed rather hurtful (DO NOT hurt Watts!).

4/5 with 2 A*. I could not make my Monday brain get anywhere near TRex even though I was working with all my might. Moliere was almost an Instaget (although I started to second guess myself on dates), not because I knew the award but just trying to come up with possible French dramatists of the time. Got Legally Blonde at the very last second after my mind wandered to memories of the Paper Chase movie and tv series. Frontier was the only thing I could think off (I worked in 2020 as an enumerator for the Census and vaguely remembered that the training talked about all the uses of the data historically and currently). On Friday, I had the fun experience of watching Jeopardy with other people for the first time since Mother Grundoon died. My neighbors invited me over to watch the show and then The Tragedy of MacBeth. It was such fun to share the experience, even the "how the heck did you know that?" moment when I said Ararat. All the food sounds amazing - I will bring a green salad to counterbalance.

Knew the W&Mers would be posting - I too feel possessive towards our Royal Couple. Years ago Mother Grundoon and I were in London visiting St. Pauls and we were touring the crypt area. They had extra guides on duty for some reason and one gave us a personal tour. We got to talking about Christopher Wren and he was very interested to hear about W&M and the Wren Building since he and his wife were planning a visit to the DC area and were trying to include parts of Maryland and Virginia. In exchange, he made some recommendations of other sites we should see in London that were a little off the usual tourist path. My Michigander heart hurt that no one knew Lake Huron. I have two friends who have built/are building retirement homes in the Thumb in large part because of the spectacular sunrises.

Ep. 15.14 - The Witches of East York I liked the mix of humor and spookiness in the episode and that there were people who were open minded about "witchcraft" (Julia, Watts, Ms. Hart) to counter those who weren't (William, Brackenreid) with poor Margaret being willing to try because she was so desperate. I totally agree @Pepper the Cat, the dude needs to go. But it is exactly those little moments that make me love this show so much. We may never see those folks again but I care about that spirited woman. Like you @auchic seeing Daniel Maslany's name makes me smile and he did not disappoint last night. He is always doing something in a scene, not to undercut any other performer but just behaving as you would expect the rather eccentric Watts to behave. My heart was breaking for Margaret and Thomas. He was somewhat more supportive at the end I think due to his own experience with the ergot but she was clearly nearing the end of her tether.

3/5 - all A*. Monday and Tuesday were Instagets - I had recently watched a show telling the story behind one of Van Gogh's paintings so he was near the front of my brain. I had just heard SJP on Sirius On Broadway on my drive home Tuesday so maybe that helped prod me and I grew up on Merman albums. Wednesday and Thursday were foggier days for me and I didn't come anywhere near either answer although I knew they would be "Duh" moments when revealed and they were. By Friday, I was again in my tired, cranky mindset where I said if it isn't Hawaii, I give up. Can I freeload on food for one more week? I truly thought I would be back to full energy by now but I have spent most of the long weekend crashing after testing my limits of doing things. Everything described above sounds terrific.

I read or saw something fairly recently about her role as well - I think it was the other tv show I saw about Van Gogh. If I remember accurately, she was really responsible for a lot of the acclaim he received after his death because Theo didn't live long after Vincent.

All the foreign coin talk gave me a flashback memory to purchasing a sandwich at The Cheese Shop in Williamsburg just after returning to school after a spring break at home in Detroit probably in 1980. I had some Canadian pennies that I had picked up in change and was using them without thinking to pay. The person on the register was about my age but was utterly flummoxed by the "funny money" and didn't want to take it. Ultimately the manager got involved and approved the transaction since it was just pennies. I apologized and explained how I had acquired them - using them in the border areas of Michigan was so common place that I never even thought about it. There were starting to be a lot of Canadian "snowbirds" in the area so I imagine it wasn't as much of an issue as time went by.

FJ was an instaget for me but I think it was mainly due to some recent Prime Video viewing. There is a show called The Art Mysteries (or something close to that) which explores the story behind a particular painting each episode. The first one I saw dealt with a Van Gogh painting and I had seen some other show fairly recently which highlighted the relationship between the brothers. The Art Mysteries show also helped me with the Seurat clue awhile ago.

Episode 13 Season 15 "Murdoch on the Couch", Jan. 10, 2022 I enjoyed the episode even though I had some problems keeping all the doctors straight - I did find all their cross-diagnosing each other a fun conceit. I also cracked up at Murdoch trying all episode to show he is not a stick in the mud - all his different stances and "say Howdy from me". I sort of guessed that Lizzie's husband would be connected somehow but was so happy to see Watts again that I might have gotten a bit distracted. At least there was an explanation for where George was (and given the Still Standing promos airing, I assume that explains what was going in IRL with Jonny Harris) - I do wish we could see Effie with all the aunts though.

Somehow managed to get to 4/5 with no * this week (which I am quite proud of given my limits of attention and energy last week - I missed loads of answers in regular Jeopardy but must have summoned all my powers of concentration for FJ). Slowly but surely getting better but still feeling fatigue and fogginess on occasion. Oscar popped into my brain even before finishing reading the clue. For Tuesday, I was in the Colosseum/amphitheater area without coming close to a circus. Adlai Stevenson was just before my time but the parental Grundoons talked about those campaigns and I recognized Kefauver's name immediately. I've been watching lots of the British show Time Team lately on Prime Video and there are frequent references to the Norman period so the date and Caen got me immediately to the Tower. I am not entirely sure if I ever read Heyerdahl's book but I was certainly aware of it as a cultural reference and was pretty sure it was the correct answer. Happy Belated Birthday @Toothbrush!

Season 15, Episode 12 - There's something about Mary I was glad to have a new episode but this was not one of my favorites (but that also could be attributable to me recovering from Covid and not feeling my best). I had some problems keeping all the theatrical characters straight apart from John and Mary and frankly didn't care that much about the victim or who the murderer was. I did enjoy the side stories - Margaret coming up with the idea of a fan club, Mrs. Hart with the salon (agree that her husband is up to something and I am not sure what the deal is with her protege), Miss Cherry pursuing a professional and personal story -loved her reactions to Julia. I should probably give this another watch when it becomes available for streaming - I may not have been entirely fair to it.

3/5 with 1 *. Godot finally popped into my brain at the last second for Monday while the Arno wouldn't appear at all (even as I muttered, you know, the river through Florence at least twice}. For Wednesday I had to reread the clue to get from the Titanic to the Carpathia in time (the date in the clue got me there in time). Thursday my brain couldn't even process the clue enough to begin to come up with any guess. Just like last Friday, I was tired and cranky enough to say if its not Lennon and McCartney, I don't care - Simon and Garfunkel never occurred to me. Thanks again everyone for good wishes - still feeling congested and tired but hope I am on the road to recovery. Still have no food to offer up for the tables - any imaginative energy is in rare supply these days. Happy New Year to all and please stay safe and healthy!

Thank you all so much - just got my results - it's Covid but if it stays at it's present level (knock wood), it is going to be very annoying but not as severe as so many others have had and I am trying to remember that I am still a lucky Grundoon.

4/5 with 2 A*. On the one hand, very proud of my score {especially given I was progressively coming down with either flu or Covid (waiting on test results) which led me to couch crash on Thursday night and barely move except to go to bed through yesterday} but on the other hand, intensely embarrassed that the one I missed with my American History/Musical loving brain was the Federalist papers. I swear that my thought pattern was "oh, you know, those things Hamilton wrote, documents, letters, why am I disappearing into a cloud of ZZZZZZZZ?" Monday I dabbled with Brenda Starr but got to Lois Lane in time. Tuesday Concord got me to Louisa Mae quickly. Where exactly I pulled steeplechase from, I may never know but there it was in the front of my brain without prompting. By Friday, I was so tired and cranky that I said if it isn't Everest, I really don't care. Hope everyone stays healthy and safe throughout these scary times. I do not have any food to offer since cooking is nowhere on my to do list right now. But I will try to make up for it at a later date. Mercifully I have stuff to heat up around the house and I can still taste things even though I don't have much of an appetite.

3/5 this week with 1 *. Not a guess in the universe for the Physics answer (major science gaps of knowledge have I) and I couldn't figure our what sea they were looking for for Thursday. Monday was an Instaget - tons of Tudor/Stuart history classes at W&M (knowing their dates helped plus got me the Glorious Revolution answer later in the week which I think was a TS). Knew TR spent time in the badlands of the Dakotas but had no idea where Louis L'Amour hailed from so basically did a mental coin toss. Friday was also an Instaget - partly due to Sondheim (whose death hit me hard - so many wonderful theater memories stirred up), partly the Sunday on La Grande Jatte painting which I have visited many times (but I agree the MOMA part of the clue almost took me in the wrong direction) but mostly thanks to an art history series I have been watching recently on Prime - one episode focused on a different Seurat painting but covered how his interest in science informed his painting. I am making shortbread, fudge and nut brittle this week and offer them all up to the T43. Tis the season to mainly eat dessert.

I understand the impulse but how about a compromise in the spirit of the holidays - hot chocolate for all tables?

4/5 with 1 * Again had a good week going until I hit the wall on Friday. I wasn't able to watch the show since I was cavorting around Greenfield Village for Holiday Nights - when I looked up the question after I got home, my brain was still too full of happy thoughts and my stomach too full of wonderful treats to come anywhere near Mary Shelley in time. Art Nouveau on Monday came thanks again to college German classes while Barbary Coast and Ghandi were Instagets from some dim recesses of my mind. As a native Michigander with family history in eastern Canada (and many trips passing through St. Catherines, Ontario), I am embarrassed at how long it took me to get to the St. Lawrence Seaway but I made it there in the nick of time. One of the delightful treats from Friday night was a hot chocolate bomb to create cocoa. It is a hollow chocolate filled with flavor - I got some filled with peppermint and just chocolate. So I will bring those along with milk for hot cocoa.