Sick and broken

Other than four small crackers I haven't eaten from Tuesday night until now. My brother brought home another version of the flu and I again caught it. The symptoms were 90% of what I had in February. That 10% difference must be why I caught the flu as I thought one is inoculated after getting the flu.

Other than visits to the bathroom I spent the entire day in bed. This is not how I like to spend a day in bed. I felt so lousy I couldn't even think on how I'd like to spend a day in bed.

While nauseous, I didn't have to face the porcelain god, though I spent a good amount of time on the throne.

My stomach rumbled like slow low thunder across an evening sky. I drank water in moderation as my stomach wanted nothing. By evening I dared four small crackers before turning in for the night. Several hours later I again had to visit the porcelain throne after a long absence. Then every half hour for the next three hours. It was only four small crackers!

I got a small abrasion on my arm now. When I first came down with the flu I slipped down part of the stairs. I remained upright but later felt the abrasion. No idea what I rubbed against.

Not daring much this morning, and still without appetite, I held off on eating until now. My mother had a doctor's appointment this afternoon I didn't want to have to memorize bathroom locations. By late afternoon my energy was drained and I was cranky.

To make matters more difficult the Commission on Aging called to tell me that the wheelchair lifts on all three of their buses were broken and they would be unable to transport mom to her doctor's appointment. Rather than reschedule my brother and I drove mom to her appointment using her car. This worked better than we expected. I thought the twisting to get into the car would be too much, but mom did just fine. We even stopped for ice cream cones at the Dairy Queen before returning home.

Pursuit of Happiness

The Declaration of Independence says:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

We have the right to pursue happiness, but can happiness be pursued? Americans have had 232 years to pursue happiness, and we have perfected and improved many things over the years, but the pursuit of happiness is not one of them.

Why is the pursuit of Happiness an inalienable right from our Creator, and not Happiness itself?

What is happiness? Bliss? Joy? Or does one have to be content to be happy? If one desires change, are they happy? If one questions, are they happy?

Does the pursuit of happiness ruin the ability to achieve it? If being content is a measure of happiness, then it would seem that pursuit could prevent happiness from being achieved. Happiness is a logical concept, and concepts change over time. It is kind of like moving the goal posts. The longer one pursues something the lessor chance of success. Yet if happiness is quickly and easily achieved, then why are not more people happy?

As happiness is an emotion, how can it last, as emotions fade. If happiness is tied to a physical object or a person, what happens when that changes or grows old, as it must. Does this mean happiness cannot last? Is happiness ever worthwhile if it is just temporary? Is happiness worthwhile is one has to repeat the pursuit of it?

If one is not happy all the time, are they really happy? Is it good to be happy all the time? I am tieing happiness to being content and accepting. Yet change and progress lead to improvements and betterment of people's lives, which should lead to more happiness.

Is there such a thing as "greater happiness"?

Why do I want to know this?

I Can Get It For You Wholesale

Another Susan Hayward movie. She can make hard women seem sexy. It must be her hair, which is a character of its own.

I Can Get It For You WholeSale

A ruthless fashion designer steps on everyone in her way in order to reach the top of her profession. Eventually she is forced to choose between her ambition and the man she loves.

Susan Hayward's portrayal of the ambitious Harriet is what makes this movie worth seeing. George Sanders is perfect as Noble, the man who recognizes Harriet's talents and wants her to come work for him. Dan Dailey is also excellent as the salesman with a lot of flair. Sam Jaffe is Cooper, the decent man who gambles all his savings in the business he knows well.

When you see these movie posters, and read the title, do you think the movie is about the fashion industry? I know what I want wholesale!

For all its over-the-top nature, I had fun watching the movie. The actors go for all their worth playing even the hokiest dialog straight. This being a movie from 1951 you knew where the movie was going; that is, for all her cold hearted ruthless ambition Hayward's character was heading for a big fall. What made it watchable was her co-stars were likable. Even the fashion mogul she becomes involved with, in the end is an ok guy as he gives her good advice without judging her.

I didn't take the time to write down some of the dialog, but there were some good lines. The last lines in the movie are spoken by Sam Cooper, Harriet's (Susan Hayward) and Teddy 's (Dan Dailey) business partner.

Teddy, wait. Listen to me. Maybe 7th Avenue is a jungle. But that doesn't mean you have to live like a wild animal in it. Harriet found that out, so she came back.

And remember Teddy, it isn't easy to walk back in after you walked out. It's easier to stay out.

And Harriet, it isn't easy to say... 'please come back'.

Besides, falling in love is always a mess. What can you expect from.. two strangers?

Let me, at least, introduce you. Teddy, this is Harriet. Harriet, this is Teddy.

[the movie ends with Teddy and Harriet tentatively stepping towards one another, then holding each other and kissing.] Aaahhh. So nice.

Auction photos

After a nice day yesterday it is raining today making for a gloomy day. But no complaints here as the area desperately needs the rain. No walking outside for mom today. With the good weather yesterday we tested how mom's power chair does when going outside and onto the ramp. Just fine. The better weather yesterday also helped my brother who was ill over the weekend.

I mentioned earlier that I would write about the auction I attended Saturday. It was an estate auction and was held on the front lawn of the residence. I stopped at a few garage sales on the way to the auction, but as it was already afternoon, I found nothing. I did see a two nice large framed watercolor prints among a half dozen pieces of art at the last sale. The prints were of a nice color and design, and even at the cheap price of $10 each, they were too large to be carrying back to Montana on the train. I have enough crap. One of the women holding the sale told me they had sold lots of artwork earlier that morning.

The auction had nothing of interest to me. I already mentioned seeing the Halloween masks from my youth. Some boxes may have held a few other items of interest or need but I had no desire to look through any. I only looked at items I could see and not had to touch.

The auction was held by Korslien, an auctioneer I knew from when I lived here decades ago. He is obese and had to sit on a specially made bench and chair except when he walked to another location. I took some photos of him to show my mother who knew him.

Austin came over to say hello. Not expecting anyone I knew, and not with an ability to pick people out of a crowd, I missed seeing him until he came up to me.

"Do you have a pickup here?"

Yes I did. My brother's. Austin had an eye on a desk, or something like that, and needed a pickup. I offered to take it to his house if he purchased it. Austin went over to be in position for bidding and I remained. I then noticed my reflection in a dresser mirror. I looked out of place among the crowd.

Austin did not purchase the desk. He did buy a rain suit for a dollar only to find it a size too small. We stood on the sidewalk with our backs to the sale and chatted about this and that, all the while I tried to keep a little distance between us as Austin was just recovering from a bad case of the flu or gunk.

While chatting with Austin I noticed another couple came and stood on my right side listening in on our conversation. I didn't acknowledge them until I finished my point with Austin. I thought Austin knew them, but he didn't. I turned to look at them and waited for one to speak.

The guy asked, "Is there a purpose for you taking photos? What do you plan to do with them?"

I was taken aback slightly and then told him I had no plans for the photos as they were taken for my interest. He then told me that my picture taking was making some people nervous and he would appreciate it if I didn't take any more photos. I had no more plans to do so and told him that. They then left.

Huh? I have traveled in third world countries where the locals got upset when people took photos without permission, and I respected their wishes. But this is America, and a public place. People here do not have a cultural superstition on photo taking, especially in a public gathering. Other than the auctioneer I wasn't taking photos of anyone else.

Austin brought up that undercover police have been known to frequent auctions in small towns looking for suspects who surface for the auction. This guy had a bland pudgy small town policeman look to him. Hmmm.. Later I searched the small crowd for another look at him but he was gone. It wasn't just my poor crowd scanning ability, Austin couldn't see him either.

So... he could have been an undercover cop who didn't want his photo taken. Or some of these old and retired joes and jills could be drug dealers or criminals? Or as my friend Rod later put it, the estate could be in contention and the estate could be nervous about photo taking as something may be sold that shouldn't be.

I stood out - just like in a third world country, though maybe not as much so - and that didn't help when people wondered why I was taking photos.

After another 20 minutes or so I left as Austin was waiting to bid on another item. There was nothing more I wanted.

The auctioneer and his brother.

The crowd and items for sale. Books and more books. Do you see any criminals or undercover cops in the photos? I don't. But what do I know?

Horns and trains. The train prints were by Larry Fischer. The nine train prints sold for only $52.50. A good price if you wanted them. I own a large print by Fischer that my mother hangs on her wall.

Suspicious guy.

Auction masks

Today I attended a household auction in Minot. I got a story out of this, let me tell ya. But I'll write about it later. I am behind in my email and I am tired.

While looking the auction items over I did see something that was from my childhood. Halloween masks. When I was about 6 year old or so I owned a Halloween costume or two from this very company. I think I even had the same rabbit costume. Seeing these boxes and costumes brought me right back to when I was a kid.

I didn't wait around to bid on the costumes even though things were selling fairly cheaply. I didn't need the costumes. If I saved everything from my past I would fill a house.

County bureaucrats

I had an irritating encounter with a county bureaucrat this afternoon and we both knew we were getting on each other's nerves. I don't suffer fools gladly when they have responsibilities. I get annoyed when the only reason they have this job is because it is a government job. Don't throw jargon at me and get annoyed when I ask you to explain it and acronyms. Don't cut me off and tell me 'this is how they say it is to be done' when I am asking why and trying to understand. And who are 'they'?

It was 4 pm on a Friday and I caught her looking at the clock. By the end of our meeting she was clearing her desk and putting stuff into the drawers.

This is the first time I met Nancy but I'm sure she knew from the tone of my voice I was growing irritated. I was looking for help for my mother and while I knew that Ward County has a Personal Care Service program to help the elderly and disabled, I have no idea of how it works or the eligibility requirements. Nancy wasn't much help as her people skills were poor. I finally was able to determine a list of information to gather for her to determine eligibility. She had to search for a pen for me to write this information down. I believe she was afraid I would walk off with it as she gave me a crappy pen.

Then I found out I got the date wrong and missed the University Choir concert. It was last night - not tonight. I was looking forward to it.

I'm in 'a mood', for this and more that happened today.

My Foolish Heart

Recently I watched the movie, "My Foolish Heart" starring Susan Hayward. I liked it. The movie is a 1949 WWII "woman's movie" romantic melodrama. In others words, if the movie would be made today: a chick flick. The difference being is that movies in the 1940s have a plot and dialog and were not just about 'meeting cute' and showing skin.

The plot:

After a long absence, Mary Jane visits her schoolfriend Eloise, and Eloise's daughter Ramona. Eloise is unhappily married to Lew Wengler. Eloise falls asleep and remembers her time with her true love, Walt Dreiser, at the beginning of the Second World War. She recalls the events that lead up to her split with Mary Jane, and how Lew married Eloise rather than Mary Jane.

My other surprise was how much I liked Susan Hayward. I had seen her in a few other movies such as "With a Song in My Heart" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro". Susan is very beautiful.

• IMDB description of My Foolish Heart

• Wikepedia description of My Foolish Heart

The following photo from the movie shows Susan Hayward's character and her true love, Walt Dresier, played by Dana Andrews. I believe this is when Walt is defending Eloise's dress to Miriam. Look at the joy and admiration in Hayward's eyes. This is acting.

As I have mentioned in the past, part of the reason I like older movies is the dialog is better than in today's movies. Here is some of the dialog that I jotted down from the movie and added to the imdb web site info about the movie.

Susan Hayward = Eloise Winters
Dana Andrews = Walt Dreiser, her love interest
Mary Jane = Eloise's best friend

Eloise: I was a good girl once.

The following is a in-joke between Walt and Eloise and each says it to the other throughout the movie when something sad has, or is about to, happen:

Poor Uncle Wiggily.


Mary Jane: [referring to Miriam Ball, a rival in the women's college dorm, when phone call after phone call is for her] She must advertise in locker rooms.

Eloise: Just two puffs on a cigarette and I'll be happy.

Eloise: [referring to Walt's apartment the first time she sees it] This room has a split personality. This half is so clean and ... this half is so ... it must have taken years to accumulate this mess.

Eloise's date: [talking about another woman] Well, I don't think I could hit a woman.
Eloise: Well, try it sometimes. It's a wonderful feeling.

Eloise: [to Lewis, her date] You dance with Mary Jane. I'm going to smoke a Parliament.

The following line is when Eloise was upset about her brown and white dress and a comment Miriam Ball made about it. Eloise is from Boise, Idaho and when she bought the dress she was assured it was what the women in New York were wearing. Miriam had disparaged the dress.

Eloise: [to Walt] Does it look awfully "Boisey" to you?


After his seduction attempt fails, Walt tells Eloise:


Walt: May I kiss you the way I would a rich and loathsome aunt?


Eloise's dad: These skyscrapers are magnificent. I'll take these over mountains in Idaho any day.

Eloise's dad: Well, I'm from the West. He'll expect me to be gruff.

Eloise: Can't I stay dad?
Eloise's dad: This will be man to man talk. You never know what language will be used.

Eloise's parents are in town as Eloise was kicked out of college because she was caught after hours in her dormitory hallway with Walt. Her mother is in hysterics and spends most of her time in the bathroom wailing.


Eloise's dad: [to Walt] I'm afraid son she's an outraged mother.

Eloise's dad: [to Walt] Don't worry about Mrs. Winters. We have a large house with 5 bathrooms.


Mary Jane: Oh, it's such a good idea having men in this world, isn't it?

Eloise: If I said what I felt, I'd start to cry. And I won't cry in a cocktail lounge.

Another in-joke is the word 'aristocratic'. Walt first uses it in a line when trying to seduce young and naive Eloise. She initially believes it and after asking him more about it realizes it is just a seduction line. Later whenever Walt wants to pay her a complement, but in a light way, he uses 'aristocratic' to describe one of her features: ear, nose, eyes.

Walt: Know what darling?
Eloise: What?
Walt: You have such aristocratic eyes, even if they are filled with tears.

Walt: I do love you El. I'll tell you twice so you don't have to ask me again. I love you.

[last line]
Mary Jane: That's all right. After all - I could have been the girl in the brown and white dress. Anyone could have.

Susan Hayward and Rawhide

Here is quote about Susan Hayward I found and liked. What a great quote. I have the same feeling about Susan Hayward. Ahh... to find a woman who makes me feel like this.

"A man could pound dreams into iron with a woman like that."

Lately I've been watching a number of movies with Susan Hayward in them and I am enchanted by her. She is beautiful and her hair has a life all its own.

Her movie characters are spunky, determined, bold and passionate. As someone else has described Hayward's acting style, 'she gives it her typical spitfire all from the get-go, her performance liberally punctuated with her signature eye-squints, chin-jerks and tit-thrusts.' A pleasure to watch.

I enjoyed the movie "Rawhide". Both because I like Westerns and also because of Susan Hayward's performance and look.

Not only did the six-shooters have more than six bullets, Hayward's tight white blouse never got dirty, even when crawling on the floor in an attempt to escape from her cell.

Jack Elam was a revelation in the movie. I knew him as a humorous character actor, but in "Rawhide" he was young, thin, and menacing. Quite a scary character, unlike any acting I had seen from him before.


Back to Susan Hayward, here are a few quotes from her:

"When you're dead, you're dead. No one is going to remember me when I'm dead. Oh maybe a few friends will remember me affectionately. Being remembered isn't the most important thing anyhow. It's what you do when you are here that's important."

"You aim at all the things you have been told that stardom means -- the rich life, the applause, the parties cluttered with celebrities. Then you find that you have it all. And it is nothing, really nothing. It is like a drug that lasts just a few hours, a sleeping pill. When it wears off, you have to live without its help."

"I never thought of myself as a movie star. I'm just a working girl. A working girl who worked her way to the top -- and never fell off."

Venison

Last night I cooked my venison steaks I had brought from Montana for my mother and brother. Mom didn't have any virgin olive oil so I had to borrow some from her neighbor. She was also missing a spice or two but I did without.

The steaks turned out fine as they both enjoyed what I cooked. I must have done well as I am not much of a cook and they are somewhat fussy eaters.

I have some venison steak left and that will be mine tonight. That'll teach the deer not to eat my garden.

Trivia night: comics

While I don't need glasses to see after my surgery, they do come in handy in low light situations to sharpen images. I decided to wear my glasses to trivia night this week. I am glad I did as there were lots more people in the bar this night; I was sitting where I could see more of the people in the bar; and there were more attractive women to view.

We don't know why there was this difference this night. More teams to play trivia - though the usual suspects had the most answers correct - and more people playing pool. I got distracted at times. Later when my team was sitting around after the contests were over, two attractive 20-something women came and sat at the bar. The long haired blond had her back to me. The brunette was sitting talking to her and I could see her profile. "Was she giving me a look or just looking around?" A guy closer to their age came and lingered around them briefly but seemed to get no attention.

Funny how I can seem to multi-task at times. I was listening to Darrel talk about plasma TVs while looking at the brunette and blond, and thinking about... Well, the conversation with my team members was excellent this night, and not feeling in the mood to flirt or make a fool of myself with someone half my age, I stayed with the team. The women eventually drifted off to the pool table area and sat on stools next to a lightly bearded young man their age who was watching more than playing pool. They were still there when I left the bar for the night. Did the brunette across the room turn and look at me again as I walked to the door? ...Vanity, thy name is mine.

I did my part in the trivia contest. There were a number of questions on comics and I got them all. ("Who's da Man?!") I also knew a few other answers. The others did well but in both contests we tied for second place. Our scores of 14 and 16 were short of the winning scores of 16 and 18 respectively. The usual suspects won. A few teams appeared to drop out after the first contest. Scores of 2 and 3 correct must have been discouraging.

Our team got the itch to change our name again. As since Mona was not there I was the scribe for the backup copy of answers we use when Ed announces the correct answers. Jeff and Darrel noticed I am left handed. I was asked by Jeff whether I knew that I wrote with the 'wrong' hand. Darrel wanted to change our team name to incorporate my 'disability'. On short notice, before the second contest began, we changed our team name to "Poncho and Lefty" . I don't think it will last as a team name for long.

Our team was all male this night as the spouses did not attend. A friend of Ed's, from Colorado, was in town and joined our team until he got a phone call and had to leave before the second contest began. Dave came tonight and joined Darrel, Jeff, Marvin, and I. Al was not there. Apparently he had been peeing blood. Hard for a blind person to know. Don't know any more details that that. The last I knew his body had stopped rejecting his pancreas transplant.

Dave won the bucket contents of the final quarters question - with my help. The question was:

In what state was the first car race in the U.S. held?

Initially I felt it was New Jersey. Lots of people wanted to guess. Many states were named and lots of quarters were dropped into the bucket. "Hawaii" got a big laugh. Eventually someone answered New Jersey. Wrong. Jeff had heard me but not when someone else said New Jersey and minutes later he guessed New Jersey. I then mused on states not named and decided it must be a state with a large city. Illinois. Dave heard me - I know he did as he looked at me when I said it - and then he put up his hand and guessed. Illinois was correct and Dave won the bucket which was $22 and change. The barmaid helped him count as the bar needed quarters for change and gave him paper money in exchange.

The interesting thing is Dave never acknowledged my help in the answer. Last week when Mona won based on my guess she acknowledged to the team that I provided her with the answer. As she said, and I agree with, I am not going to win if I am too cheap to toss a quarter in the bucket. Ok, the 'cheap' part I quibble with as often I don't want the prize, or don't have any money on me. This night I did have one quarter and I suppose I should have made an effort to get it ready to guess. Oh well.

Darrel, not Dave, ended up buying me a drink when buying rounds. I do not drink much and usually decline when rounds are bought, but sometimes I do feel like a drink, and sometimes it is just good behavior to join the rest in a drink.

For the second trivia contest two teams tied for first place and the tie breaker question was:

When was the beer can invented?

Our team was not in the running but everyone guessed for the heck of it. Most team members guessed the early 40s and either Dave or Jeff guessed 1932 (or was it the 20s?). My first guess was 1937, but then thought about when Prohibition ended and changed my guess to 1934. I got crap about changing my answer, but no matter, 1937 or 1934 were the two closest answers to 1935.

Questions:

1. Which Dr Seuss character sat on an egg?
2. Who wrote "The Rubaiyat?
3. Dostoevsky wrote the novel, "The Brothers _____"?
4. Which kid worked at the Daily Planet?
5. Who said: "Leaping Lizards!"?
6. In the comics, what was Archie's last name?
7. How long can Aquaman stay out of the water?
8. Whose garden did Peter Cottontail visit?
9. Which meat is better? Prime or Grade A?
10. Which animal is on the logo of Pocket Books?
11. In Greek mythology, what is the name of the giant with 100 eyes?
12. How many wives did Clark Gable have?
13. What nationality was Andrew Carnegie?
14. What was the name of the whale who swallowed Pinocchio?
15. What was the name of the Scottish Terrior in the "Lady and the Tramp"?
16. In a Disney movie, Timothy Q. Mouse was the guide for who?
17. Which Disney character will be 80 this year?
18. Who made their film debut in 1932 at the age of three?
19. From which country did the U.S. buy Florida?
20. Where was the last rail of the transcontinental railroad laid?
21. Who said, "I've always relied on the kindness of strangers"?
22. Which actress was Maureen O'Sullivan's daughter?
23. What fruit was also called "love apples"?
24. Where did Cain live after killing Able?
    
25. Who was the only person to win both the $64000 Question and the $64000 Challenge?
    

Answers:

1. Horton
2. Omar Khayyam
3. Karamazov
4. Jimmy Olsen
5. Little Orphan Annie
6. Andrews
7. 1 hour
8. Mr. Macgregor
9. Prime
10. Kangaroo
11. Argus (no team got this correct)
12. 5
13. Scottish
14. Monstro
15. Jock
16. Dumbo
17. Mickey Mouse
18. Shirley Temple
19. Spain
20. Promotory Point
21. Blanche DuBois
22. Mia Farrow
23. Tomatoes
24. Land of Nod
25. Dr. Joyce Brothers
    

Minot views

Here are some photos I took the evening I walked to the university to attend the chamber music concert.

A panoramic view of Minot from 7th St on north hill.

Photo 1 is a view of downtown by looking out over the university.
Photo 2 is a view back up 7th St.

Night views during my return from the concert.

Brass in Blue

Saturday evening I attended a brass band concert at my old high school. The band was a U.S. Air Force band called: Brass in Blue. This is a 13 member band that plays trumpet, horns, trombone, tuba and percussion with a guy singing a few of the songs.

----

I thought it would be interesting to see some of my old high school but most all of it was closed this evening. I do have a few faint memories of the theater.

By the time I arrived open seats were off to the sides and high near the back. Still, the view wasn't bad. Not all the seats were taken but I still ended up with people on either side of me crowding in this tall guy with long legs.

The program said no one would be seated after the concert started but I did notice a few people entering via a side door during the concert.

I am not young but I believe more than 99% of the people were much older than I.

The band was fine, but I now realize that brass bands are not my favorite. They are too loud and dare I say, brassy. Maybe it is my aging with less of a tolerance for loud music but I prefer the string music concert style I heard a few weeks ago. I do know that none of these songs reminded me of old cartoons.

The band consisted of 11 men and two women. I felt sorry for the women. They wore full length air force blue dresses that almost reached the floor. No sign of an ankle here! The Texas LDS religious pioneer women had better looking dresses than what these poor Air Force women had to wear. These women would fit right in a Muslim Middle Eastern country.

During the "Tico Tico no Fuba" number I think I saw TSgt Kim swaying to the beat. I noticed her skirt sway ever so slightly. That was about it for entertainment to watch during the music. Otherwise it was men with very short haircuts. Bald heads and horns glinted in the spotlight.

I was glad the band played more than marches as they got old.

Let's see.. what to look at while listening to the music?

• very old people in the audience
• two women in very ugly dresses
• men in short military haircuts, or bald
• horns shining in the spotlight
  

Even closing my eyes didn't cause me to fall asleep - the music was too loud.

TSgt Kim must not wear her Air Force dress all the time as I noticed a wedding band on her hand. The brochure's profile on her was interesting: enjoys fantasy novels and bicycling. BA in Math and music. Why didn't I meet any women like her when I was younger?

Diplomatic Courier

Recently I saw a 1952 movie that exceeded my expectations: Diplomatic Courier.

In the Cold War, Mike Kells (Tyrone Power) is a courier, who has the mission to meet his friend Sam Carew in a train in Europe and bring some documents back to Washington. However, Sam is killed on the train. Mike finds a hint in his pocket, indicating he should go to Trieste, Italy to find Janine (Hildegard Knef), Sam's last contact before he died. Meanwhile, Joan Ross (Patricia Neal), an American widow that Mike had met earlier, shows a great interest in Mike. Mike does not know, but he is being used by the American government as a bait to find the Communist spies.

Don't you just love the poster? I never saw the poster till now. The poster looks like it could be a cover to some pulp novel and not a movie. The movie is not as near salacious as the poster would lead you to believe though there is an undercurrent of sexual tension.

I hadn't expected a whole lot from the movie but I had fun watching it. I enjoyed the banter between Patricia Neal and Tyrone Power. He is caught up in a spy and murder mystery and she is a glamorous woman he met earlier and who is putting the moves on him. Ya know... as a guy, I enjoyed watching these scenes.


Here is some dialog to give you an idea of the movie. As this is a 1952 movie, the sexual chemistry is inferred and not explicit, and therefore more fun.

[Mike is at a nightclub in Trieste, Italy searching for Janine when he unexpectedly finds Joan, a woman he met days earlier on an airline flight.]

Joan: When I started this crazy tour the last thing I was looking for was a man. Why I should pick on you, I don’t know. After I know you better, I may not like you.

But I kept thinking about you and started looking for you. I phoned all over and Tony Bennis from the Paris embassy found out for me that you has come here. Michael, it was exactly 11:45 a few days ago when you left me. What time is it now? Check both watches.

Mike: Well, it’s exactly 11:37.

Joan: Do we resume? Heaven bless 11:37. ...I don’t.

Mike: Joan, I’d like nothing better in the world, but right now I’m sort of... I.. I.. I’m.. tied..

Joan: All right, I’m gonna lay my cards on the table. Michael, tell me the truth. Are you with someone?

Mike: [showing a photo of an attractive woman standing next to a bicycle] No. No, I’m chasing her. My dream girl.

Joan: Can’t be helped. Can’t be helped, can it? I apologize to you Michael. I’m truly sorry.

Mike: No, no, no. I’m only kidding about her. I’m only doing this for an acquaintance of a friend of mine. I promised to look her up and see about her.

Joan: Do you have to see about her tonight?

Mike: It doesn’t look as though I can tonight.

Joan: [leaning in with a smile and enthusiasm] Darling! Let’s explore Trieste together!

-----------------

Joan: I’m with those people over there. They’re much duller than you are. But they got far better manners so I have to lie like the dickens. Especially that one guy! He’s the captain. He thinks he is a mate of mine. You know the kind. So I have to be nice to him. Darling, can you wait two minutes?

Mike: Yup.

Joan: Well... I hardly can! ....I’m going to, darling.

[Joan leans in and passionately kisses Mike. As her dress is low cut her cleavage shows.]

[Scene changes to a waiter looking through some curtains at Joan and Mike. He has an astonished expression, and as he brushes his hair back with his hand his toupee falls back.]

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Mike: [To Janine concerning a man she knows] Well, he left in a hurry. It turned out he had an appointment to get killed. That’s right, his timing was a little off. You’ll be sorry to hear the car got him and not me.

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Janine: You’re making a great mistake Mr. Kells. Sam was my friend.

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Mike: [To Janine about Sam’s watch] Where did they get this? Did they take it off Sam’s body? Was it part of your pay?

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Janine: [To Mike and talking about Sam] He loved you as only some brothers love.

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Col. Mark Cagle: [About Janine] She’s an appealing dish no doubt. Most bad women are. One way or another, that’s why they can be so successfully bad.

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Col. Mark Cagle: [About bugging Janine’s apartment] I want to hear every word she says. I want to hear it when she reads.

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Mike: [About Joan] No. If I’m in this, it’s my own business. But she’s a woman. It’s lucky for her she’s sore at me. I stood her up last night.

Col. Mark Cagle: A thing like that just wets her appetite. She’ll meet you at one o’clock at the Nationale.

Mike: Don’t you stop at nothing?!

Col. Mark Cagle: She’s an American isn’t she? Let her do something for her country.

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Joan: You started by arousing the mother instinct in me, and now you got the whole works worked up. And you got something stirred up!

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Sgt. Ernie Guelvada: [to Mike about Mike seeing Joan again, which Ernie finds appealing] That puts it right in the line of duty. Unnh! Some duty!

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Sgt. Ernie Guelvada: [To Mike] Take it careful brother. You bruise easy.

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Mike: [To Janine] Oh no! No! No! I’ve been to your apartment. I don’t like what happens there. Like getting slugged.

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Sgt. Ernie Guelvada: You’re out of your mind going up there! You got a gun?

Mike: Ya.

Sgt. Ernie Guelvada: A flashlight?

Mike: No.

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Mike: [To Joan] Go home. Take off your spurs and go to bed.

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Joan: No questions please. I’m standing on the 5th amendment.

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Sgt. Ernie Guelvada: [upon seeing Joan] The widow lady! Live and learn.

Joan: If it isn’t the cavalry.

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Joan: [To Mike] Well, the next time you’re near Richmond, Indiana there’s a little drug store there. It’s practically the whole town. Well, drop in and tell them that the last time you saw me... the little girl is doing great. Just great.

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Rasumny Platov: [(The head Communist spy) To Mike] So... as long you understand that if you do make it necessary, I will violate protocol with personal satisfaction.

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[after escaping from a train and tumbling down a steep hillside, Mike and Janine come to rest next to each other]

Mike: You know something? This is the first time I really looked at you. Really looked at you, just as a girl.

Janine: [movie's last line] And so it is.

Okay, the last line doesn't exactly makes sense. But it doesn't matter, they are together.

If interested, the movie will be shown again on the Fox Movie Channel (FXM) cable channel this Thursday, May 1.

Wheelchair ramp

I just realized I had not posted any photos of mom's new wheelchair ramp. Here are before and after photos. I think it looks good.

Snow

It snowed overnight. Big wet snowflakes. Near the end of April. *sigh* Well, North Dakota desperately needs the moisture. The good news is there won't be any grass fires for a while.

Power chair

Mom got her new power chair this morning. Hurray!! It is the Jazzy 600XL and looks just like this. Mom really likes it as it is much more comfortable that her previous wheelchair. My brother and I like the power chair because we no longer have to struggle to push mom around in a wheelchair with a bad wheel. One wheel did not like to turn.

The new power chair is battery powered and is recharged by plugging it in to the wall outlet.

It has five speeds and can go up to 5 mph. I know that second speed is all the fast one would want to move inside the house. We learned from a person whose mother had a power chair that they are fast and powerful and her mother ended up with holes in the walls of her house.

The wheels are bigger and better so it is easier to go outside. The wheels are underneath the seat. So while the seat is the same 24" size as the old wheelchair, the overall chair width is less than the old wheelchair.

I had counted on the chair fitting through the doorway to the kitchen via the living room but the chair is still a few inches too wide. I plan to move stuff from along the wall in the area between the kitchen and dining room and see if the chair can get through there. Tomorrow's project.

I am glad Medicare and Medicare Supplemental insurance picks up the cost as the chair costs over five thousand dollars.

Trivia night: pretend

Another night of trivia. Nothing too exciting to write about. Our team finished in the middle of the pack both times with scores of 13 and 15 correct. The winning team each time got 18 and 19 correct respectively.

Since the same team (the lawyers) won each contest, the second contest had a tie breaker question between the two teams tied for second place. The team that won the tie breaker question was a first time winning team and most everyone applauded - unlike earlier when the lawyers won yet again.

Between the lawyers team and the Moonpies team made up of college professors, the rest of us don't have much of a chance. My team is: construction worker, postman, retired engineer, cop / teacher, rancher, and Indian princess.

Neither Rod nor Al attended this night. I joined Darrel, Mona, Jeff, and Marvin on the 3 Dog Night team. I am starting to remember more people's names, now I just need to remember Jeff's wife's name.

One member of the Moonpies team always gives crazy and funny answers to the quarters questions. Tonight he surprised everyone by giving the correct answer to the question:

"In 1934, who invented the board game, Monopoly?"

Charles B. Darrow - though this is in dispute. See here.

I wonder if the winner surprised himself as he didn't select any prize. After looking them over he came back pretending to carry something carefully in both hands. Everyone laughed.

Mona won the final quarters question of the night and won the amount in the bucket, eleven dollars and change.

Karaoke has been moved to Wednesday nights so no more karaoke to hear after the trivia contests are over. Still we all sat and chatted for a while afterwards as the group is fairly funny, interesting, and have good stories to tell.

Questions:

1. What is the world's largest island?
2. Who married Thelma Catherine Ryan?
3. Which artist's last 78 record included "I Got Stung"?
4. Which Wright Brother was the first to fly?
5. What was the mongoose's name in Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book?
6. What was Clark Gable's and Marilyn Monroe's last movie?
7. Which famous actress starred in the movie, "Black Shield of Falworth" with her husband, Tony Curtis?
8. Which late comedian had the license plate: KILLER?
9. Which singer and TV host had the license plate: DRUNKEE
10. Give the nickname of a presidential wife originally called Claudia Alta Taylor?

Answers:

1. Greenland
2. Richard Nixon
3. Elvis Presley. "I Got Stung" was the flip side of "One Night" (more info on the record here)
4. Orville
5. Rikki Tikki Tavi
6. The Misfits
7. Janet Leigh
8. Flip Wilson
9. Dean Martin
10. Lady Bird Johnson
    

Bathroom repairs

I have 'fixed' mom's bathroom. There were a number of small repairs needed.

• Bathtub drain

The lever no longer worked and I had to pull it out and replace it with a new one.


• Toilet handle

The handle was old and tight and I had to loosen it so it moved freely.


• Clogged sink pipe

Beyond the trap the pipe is level before it goes into the wall. Over the decades gunk built up and clogged the pipe until the water would only drain slowly.

I took all the pipes apart to the wall. I had to replace one pipe and the trap as the old metal developed a hairline leak after I cleaned it. In the photo below the new parts are the plastic ones.

The level part of the pipe was filled with gunk. I was surprised how full the pipe was, and how the water could even drain through the pipe. I've worked with sewers and septic tanks in the past and this the gunk smelled that sewer smell and had the same potent staining capability.

In the green bowl, here is view of some of the gunk.





• Broken sink faucet handle

One sink handle was broken. An inner plastic piece had broken. The piece is part number 11.




I read the originally brochure and saw that the warranty had expired as it was a limited 2 year warranty and the faucet was eight to ten years old.

When I was at Menards and looking at new faucets, a couple from Saskatchewan told me that they had very good experiences with Moen, the faucet manufacturer. They encouraged me to call Moen. I did and was helped by a cheerful representative who quickly knew which faucet I was talking about, the general dates it was manufactured (mom got the faucet 10 or so years ago), and the piece I was trying to describe.

Moen sent me a new free replacement piece along with instructions on how to fix the faucet. I was happy, and impressed. I installed the replacement piece and now mom's faucet works. I'd buy a Moen faucet again.