As covered before, Portland Meadows is being disassembled and the racetrack is becoming an Amazon warehouse. Though everything Portland Meadows has been levelled, the sign is still hanging out. Probably not for much longer, though.
Back in March, I made a special Friday trip to grab my holds. My weekend had cleared and I wanted to have books and movies to tide me over. There was one book that had arrived, but it wasn’t with the other books on the shelf.
“Oh well,” I said to myself. “I’ll grab it on Monday.” Monday was my usual hold pickup day.
I did not grab it on Monday.
The libraries shut down along with everything else and it was about three months before I could bring this book home.
To do that I had to make a phone call, sit on hold, and arrange a day and time for pickup.
Pandemic fun!
I enjoyed the book, by the way.
My bike ride this afternoon gave me fun views of interesting things including this rainbow.
I’ve also enjoyed seeing which houses count a senior (in high school or college) among their residents. I would have been very sad to have my senior year usurped, and I hope that the odd end to their high school career is a jumping off point for a better future.
Aside from our usual frozen pizza, we also played two more games on our pandemic list. 10 Days in the USA was a fun trip. Because when you can’t actually tour the USA, you might as well play a board game about travel.
Guillotine was our second game. Because why not execute some nobles while passing the time at home?
History will (hopefully) soon forget, but Matt is aping the way a certain occupant of the White House awkwardly held up a Bible.
Directed by Tom Harper
Written by Nicole Taylor
Tales of striving artists tend to be complicated and none more so than when those striving artists are women.* So it was interesting to see Jessie Buckley walk the line** between paroled convict, mother, and aspiring singer, not to mention Julie Walters trying to find a middle ground as Buckley’s mother. Aside from the art/family debate, there was also some good stuff around class, a wonderful soundtrack, and great musical performances.
Cost: $2.99 via Redbox On Demand
Where watched: at home
*Because the way things are set up right now there’s a lot of things women have to do on a daily basis before they can get to the art.
**Ha!
Glasgow’s Grand Ole Opry can also be visited, on Govan Road. It specializes in country music.
Directed by Spike Lee
Written by Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Kevin Willmott, and Spike Lee
This movie is long* and takes place in two time periods** (Vietnam in 1971 and Vietnam in present day) and has a lot of feelings ricocheting around. Much like the Vietnam War was a mess that kept getting worse, so goes the plan to find the gold.*** While things are going south there are some amazing performances**** and the actors have built characters into people we care about.
Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home
*I took a bathroom break and when I paused the film I discovered that though the counter said 1:12 for having watched, there was still 1:22 left to go. I groaned, but the second half turned out to be engrossing.
**In the two time periods it uses the same actors for both without digitally de-aging them. I was not a fan of that process in the Irishman, so good job avoiding that, but it was weird to see the old actors looking old and playing young without comment. The aspect ratio changed to indicate which time period we were in. I eventually got used to it.
***I feel like there could be a movie throw down called Going After the Fortune: Totally Worth Your Time vs. Will Destroy Your Life.
****Delroy Lindo’s direct address to the camera! Wow!
This will be the first Netflix film to screen at the Cannes Film Festival in three years. Controversy had stirred up after Netflix screened their films at the 2017 festival over the differing policies of streaming versus theatrical release, prompting Netflix and festival organizers coming to strong disagreements. Netflix subsequently withdrew their films from the festival for three years after. This film will be part of the festival’s Out of Competition category for the 2020 festival.
Well that didn’t come to pass. Thanks, coronavirus.
Before view #1: the topknot pulled back
Before #2: the topknot released
After: The YouTube instructions were carefully followed. I learned that hairdressers must have amazingly strong hands. Mine were aching by the time I was done.
The realities of Matt’s thick hair made visible.
Matt and I took advantage of the fact I’m unemployed and we headed out to the u-pick farm to get some strawberries.
It was too early to go. We got the car stuck (and had a hard time getting it out) and the berries weren’t really ripe yet. There’s been a lot of cool rain and so we will have to wait for strawberries.
It’s been a long time since I could return books to the library. We’ve been stockpiling them in the house since March. It’s good to send them back and I look forward to getting more hardcopy books soon.
The book return on the back side of the building, however, is not open. I assume that’s for ease of processing. All returned books sit for a few days before being checked in.
