PIZZA and a MOVIE

The pizza was good, the movie not so much. If Cameron Diaz were not in it it would have been pointless. We picked up the movie at the automated Red Box at the Stop and Shop for a dollar. While we were walking back to the car we passed a guy from Central America carrying a pizza box. Kitty asked him where he got it. He pointed across the street at a big building with retail on the ground floor and said "Sophie T's, the best pizza on the island." We started the car and drove to Sophie's and ordered a slice of veggie pizza and a meatball sub....and a Sam Adams beer. The small bottle of beer was $5 which is about what a six-pack of the stuff costs at a grocery store but the Pizza and sub were reasonably priced. It's no "Demetrios*" but both tasted good. We were hungry so there is no photo of either because a photo of a slice divided in half with a bite out of it may not make the best blog shot.

I would like to thank notablenibbler.blogspot.com, my "GO TO" girl for food critique worldwide for a "plug" for my blog. I am flattered.

* Demetrios is a greek pizzeria in Sarasota Florida that I have frequented since 1976. My kids went there in baby carriers and the grand kids too. The grand dog has not had the pleasure but she has a limited palate anyhow. I don't think they have Purina Parmagiano.

Now, on to the Movie....A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a married couple, who know that opening it will grant them a million dollars and kill someone they don't know. Need I say more? It does bring up an interesting topic that I have toyed with for many years... why do humans think, in every century, that they have discovered the ultimate answers to everything. Remember the story about how they closed the patent office in the late 1800s because "everything that could be invested, has been invented." I will elaborate in my next post.

The GREATEST TEACHER on EARTH

My three greatest teachers in life are my grand daughters and my grand dog, Sandy. There is an old joke about how you can tell who man's best friend is..."You lock your wife and your dog out of the house in the cold dark night, and after an hour you let them in. Your dog wags his tail and is happy to see you." Every day is a new day for children and pets. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not on their minds, and a good hug and a scratch behind the ear go a long way. Monetary value means little. We have all bought some big expensive present for our kids and find that they prefer to play with the box it came in. They have so much to teach us about being in the moment and unconditional love. It is never a surprise to me how some of our good friends treat animals and spend time and money rescuing them from abandonment and cruelty. they bring out the best in most of us. On top of that, this little doggie reminds me of Yoda from Star Wars. A lovable little fuzzball on the outside and a Jedi Master within.

NORTH BEACH FILM FESTIVAL

Concurrently with the Nantucket Film Festival, the Kitty and I are screening some Hollywood gems on the small screen in our apartment on North Beach. I have tried to keep you apprised of our cinematic selections. We have Netflix and I am sure you know how that works... you get two DVDs, you watch them. mail then back and in a couple of days they send you the next ones on your list. My email tells me that coming in two days will be Avatar, and another, Old Men. Surprisingly we have not seen Avatar in the movies where it has appeared on IMAX but I think we will still be able to appreciate some of the special effects on TV. We watch an average of 5 movies per week but almost no regular TV. I hope we can keep this up because most regular TV, especially in the summer, is drivel.

At the "other" Nantucket Film Festival, they will be showing movies that we would not ordinarily rent at a video store or from Netflix. One of them is "The Extra Man" with Kevin Kline. This was the opening movie at the Sarasota Film Festival and Mr. Kline attended and was well liked by those who met him and listened to his Q and A sessions. I am sure the moviegoers in Nantucket will enjoy this film as much as I did. I am sure it will make a stop at a theatre near you some time. Go see it. Eccentricity well portrayed. The other selections at the NFF are a little too "Indie" for me. My son, would groove on them as he has a different palate for art, movies, and music. For example, he thinks Lou Reed is a god. I think Elvis and the Beatles are gods. He loves Andy Warhol's art, I love Picasso. He would actually rent a movie that never made it to a theater, principally because the masses did not appreciate it. I am among the masses, cinematographically a least. I also enjoy the contribution that editing makes in the movies I see. Some of the films I have seen at film festivals go on and on and on endlessly. After I watched them for 3 1/2 hours I would say "Get an editor involved in that and you will have a great 2 hour movie." It's like when my father used to show travel movies and slides when I was a kid and he would splice in a 4 minute segment where he forgot to take the lens cap off and a room full of people would sit there in the dark yawning. You should pray that the excess footage in these films only lasts 4 minutes but you get the drift.

I Haven't a GLUE

Well, actually I do have some NEW GLUE in my crowned tooth...the one that fell out late last night. I called Dr. Mulcahy's office this morning at 8 am and was given an appointment to come in. It is easy to find, it's right next to "Cinco" the latino restaurant on Amelia Drive just south of the Rotary, and across the street from R.J. Miller salon where my wife went yesterday. My wife, the "Kitty" looks beautiful, as always, after her salon visit and she was extremely pleased with her beauty experience. She plans to return regularly while we reside in Nantucket.

After filling out the usual paperwork that one fills out in a health care facility, I was brought back to the dental chair by Irene, a very warm and friendly person who used to live in Florida but on the other side of the state. She is born and bred in Nantucket and came home and now works with Dr. Mulcahy. The doctor was very professional, thorough, and after cleaning off the crown, he mixed up some cement and press fitted my crown back in place. I can't chew on it for a little while so I am having something soft for breakfast.

After all is said and done, Kitty and I both paid about the same for our visits to Amelia Drive. She looks beautiful and I look like the same old guy with a gold capped tooth. But... things look promising aver my visit to the dentist and even though I am no better than I was two days ago, I am worlds better than I was last night at 10pm when the gold nugget popped into my hand and I had one of those "Oh, crap" moments. The Kitty plans to go back to Amelia drive every week, but I hope that the only time I go is to have some spicy latino food at "Cinco." Not that it wasn't a GREAT dental experience, but I am hoping my glueing lasts as long as it did when I first had this crown put in in 1973. That should get me past my expiration date.

ACROSS the UNIVERSE

Last night's movie at the North Beach Cinema (our TV) was a musical. It takes place in the 60s amid the social unrest of the Vietnam war era. It stars people you probably never heard of who sing beautifully. It is a story about a young English factory worker who comes to America to find is father who left him and his Mum when "He was still a bun in the oven" having had a relationship with his mother while a soldier stationed in England. All of the music is Beatles music and it breaks out whenever appropriate to the story...for example, his name is Jude and his girlfriend's name is Judy...not hard to guess where that is going. If you liked "Grease" or "The Sound of Music" you will like this one. Mc Cartney et al wrote some nice tunes and their lyrics are pure poetry. This comes out when the lyrical words become part of the dialog and plot. The story was woven beautifully and tied many of my favorite Beatles songs together without being forced.

CROWN of GOLD

Small bump in the road. Last night, this little nugget came out of its normal habitat, #29 mandibular location in my mouth, and left an empty space. I am here in a far away land and will seek out a dentist to glue it back or tell me some more complicated option may have to be pursued. I am optimistic that some glue will do the trick. If I were way out there in the sticks, I would probably get out the superglue. If I were in Sarasota I would go to my trusted dentist. Dr. Georgiades. But I'm not.

Anyway, that little girl I met on the street yesterday was right, this tooth sure is yellow, or more precisely, golden .

LINK of the NIGHT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aRzVVNt9h0