Browncoat

2/5 for me this week -- I figured it out without my notes at home!

As I have never read that poem, I did not get FJ tonight. I did, however, get the TS of between a rock and a hard place, Earl Warren, pollination, salivary glands, and Chief Seattle. I think I only got two FJ this week, but I'm away from home and my notes (again), so I'll check on that Monday.

I was shocked to be correct for FJ! I had no idea that person published any books, but the titles immediately led me to him. I couldn't think of anyone else even remotely possible. Bradbury was an interesting response. I only managed two TS -- cormorant and Orleans. Ray's swiveling/swaying makes me think of all the Whos down in Whoville -- watch the animated Grinch when the Whos come together to sing. There's at least one who swivels just like that.

I am home, and mostly rested from my adventures in Costa Rica and Panama! Tuesday, the travel home day, was the worst. I had scheduled a layover in Miami of just over two hours, but then my flight was delayed by an hour! I only just made the connection, and only because I have Global Entry and they held the flight for 10 minutes. It took nearly an hour after I boarded for my heart rate to return to normal after quick-fast walking through the airport (I really can't run anymore!). So that, of course, made us arrive a little later than expected to Charlotte, and then I had trouble with the parking gate. I'd prepaid, so I had a QR code, but for some reason the gate did not want to accept it, so that took extra time. The 2.5 hour drive home was brutal. I was mostly fine until I got within about 30 miles of home, and by that time, I'm in the middle of nowhere with no place to stop if I'd wanted to. So I opened the window a crack and put on tunes to sing along with, and made it. I only unpacked my toothbrush that night (morning?) and left all the rest until yesterday and today. Other than that, the trip was great. I hadn't expected to be quite so fascinated by the Panama Canal as I was. I even managed a couple of time-lapse videos of us going through the locks. And of course, all the nature we saw in both countries was really good! At one point, we were surrounded by unhappy capuchin monkeys -- they were baring their teeth at us and generally being defensive/threatening. It reminded me of the scene in the second Hunger Games movie! We did have an incident the very first day, though. It started pouring the rain, and a tree fell on one of the groups out hiking. A guest and two of the ship's staff were injured (the guest fairly seriously, but she'll be okay), and a local guide died from his injuries. It kind of put a pall on the rest of the trip -- the staff all knew the local guide, of course, and some of them struggled to keep it together. I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd cancelled the rest, but they did an amazing job of carrying on. Another guest suggested we make donations for the guide's family, and the staff made that happen. Other than that one rainstorm, we had perfect weather -- hot and steamy, but that's to be expected in the tropics! It was hard to come back to freezing rain! I haven't gotten warm yet!

I can't believe I forgot about the sister station. I bet I could have watched there! I blame delayed flights, running through airports, and a three-hour drive home (I got home at about 1:00 am Wednesday.)

My apparently unpopular opinion? I like Love, Actually. I fully and freely acknowledge that it is problematic as hell, and is not a great movie, but I can't help myself. I love the lobsters and octopus in the nativity, I love Rowan Atkinson in both his scenes. I love that not all the storylines have movie happy endings -- some are sad and real. Because as we know, not everyone gets a happy ending. I adore the Hugh Grant dancing scene (even though he hated it), and Emma Thompson just killed it in the scene after she opened her Christmas present from Alan Rickman. I'm not defending it -- I know all the problems, but I will watch it any time it's on TV, and I also own the DVD. I even watched the anniversary special on TV a couple of weeks ago. ETA: I just found it on AMC, and am watching now!

I just finished Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus. I enjoyed it tremendously. I can't even really describe it -- you'd think it's just a fun read about a female chemist who ends up hosting a cooking show, but it's so much more than that. Highly recommend.

Nooo! Tonight was the first time since Dec. 9 that I've been able to watch Jeopardy, and it's preempted by a special report! My Jeopardy hasn't resumed (CBS affiliate), and probably won't. 🙁 I did check the archive for FJ, assuming I won't get to watch the actual show, and I got it -- for the first time this week.

I’m in a hotel in Panama City, Panama, and I just finished catching up with FJ for this past week. I got 4/5, with the asterisk! I think that means I should travel more and/or not watch the show and just use the archive. I will freely admit that Wilson was a total guess.

It cracks me up that 66 is cold. We haven’t been warmer than mid-50s for weeks! I know, it’s all a matter of what you’re used to, but still. 🙂

But if the turtle dies, they all die. In saving the turtle, they save themselves.

PeTA is not always ethical. Remember, the “e” is lowercase. I have zero respect for an organization that randomly releases caged animals who cannot fend for themselves and resort to cannibalism. That was not a mistake, but a deliberate act. PeTA also will tell you that pet ownership is equivalent to slavery, and that a rat is equal to a boy (said Ingrid Newkirk, founder). I disagree with both those statements.

Greetings from Miami, en route to Costa Rica! I will only have minimal internet access for the next 10 days, so I’ll have to catch up with the show after I get back.

Amazingly, a 4/5 this week, with an asterisk!

So much of an instaget FJ for me! I started writing before Ken finished reading the clue. I love that movie. I was fortunate enough to see "Spamalot" on Broadway, too, with Tim Curry as King Arthur. So much fun. I also got the TS of Superior, spleen, and Uncle Vanya. In addition to Ken's comment about H&R Block, we also got a "Hello!" a la Alex.

I had to think a bit for FJ. I chose to concentrate on the WWII venture, and came up with Manhattan in the nick of time. The only TS I got were U-2 and davenport. I'll be away next week (and part of the following week), so don't be alarmed if I don't post for awhile!

Milk and Pepsi always sounded so disgusting to me back in the days of "Laverne and Shirley", and time has not improved it.

Aw, man! I loved Schoolhouse Rock! Like a lot of others here, I learned so much from those cartoons, and still remember the Preamble. As long as I sing it, of course.

While I’m bummed that Primetimer wouldn’t let me in last night for the live chat, I really enjoyed the finale! I absolutely loved the final task. And no one can blame taxi karma for losing. I believe if Molly and Emily had been better navigators, they would have won. Molly was just as fast as Derek at the bridge — she just got a later start. One minor quibble, though, Phil, sweetie. Nashville was not the birthplace of bluegrass music.

Wow! They remembered that Darlene barked in class back in the day!

Well, I knew FJ had to be a president who took over halfway through another's term, and then was elected in his own right, but damn if I could come up with the right one. Or any one, really. And I was doing so well, too. I only got three TS -- bay window, After You, and The Testaments.

Catching up from Tuesday's game! FJ was an instaget for me, and I got the missed clues of brick and sodium. I tried to yell "sodium!" really loud so Cris would hear me, but alas, it was not to be. I don't suppose they would have accepted "marketing" for "advertising", would they? Bye, Cris, and congrats to Andy!

Almost instaget FJ tonight, and then I tried to second-guess myself before I figured out that 1989 was 20 years before 2009, and stuck with my original response. Good start to the week, but I feel confident it won't last! The only TS I got were Providence and Rent.

I don't remember them being sensitive, but there was a giant "ker-chunk" sound when it switched tracks (sometimes in the middle of a song). Good producers could time songs better.

The DMV. When my mother died this summer, I had to retitle my parents' vehicles, and I added my name as survivor (I am executor and also have power of attorney for my father, who has dementia). I also paid the insurance. I have proof. Assholes at the DMV sent both my father and me letters telling us that they can't find proof of insurance, and if I don't provide it within the next week, we'll be suspended from driving and owning cars, and all sorts of mean, nasty things. The letter says I can provide the proof in the DMV's online portal. So I go there and enter the requested information. When I hit submit, I get a message that essentially says, oh, yeah, we've got that. Then WHY SEND THE LETTERS, you dipshits? I'm planning on calling them tomorrow just to verify, but dammit, I shouldn't have to. All that should have been clear when I retitled the cars. (No, my father doesn't drive anymore -- he hasn't in years -- but my siblings and I drive the one car, and we will get rid of the other one this month.)