The Strait New Year's Eve Rundown

 Huzzah!

I have been busy with my comic book project, but please - I have not abandoned my blog, and I hope to be back to at least two to three posts a week!

The year was not without its down notes, but it had many positives as well.

The best political news?

The victories of Rafael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in their Georgia runoffs were a real highlight. They enabled the passage of some legislation and helped the selection of new judges and cabinet members not to be logjammed. Senator Warnock is an eloquent and persuasive speaker, and he is working his heart out to help pass much-needed Voter's Rights legislation.

The passage of the physical infrastructure may not seem that romantic right now, but it will help this country move forward into the 21st Century.  

2021 was also the year that we saw the end of the Trump administration. He was the worst President in American history and definitely the least suited for it, intellectually and emotionally. He only cared about himself. Whatever problems Biden has, it does not come from a lack of effort or caring.

The worst political news?

Even though Trump is out of office, his poisoning of American democracy continues. What most depresses me is those I know who still cling to this awful man and believe his lies about the 2020 election. I have never seen such spoiled brat squallering in all my life.

Like the Build Back Better Act, efforts at meaningful and transformative legislation continue to be stymied by two Democratic Senators, Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema. In addition, we are again dealing with the fact that individual parts of the Bill are VERY popular. Yet, the way our politics are constructed is skewed so that Republicans and lobbyists have outsize influence.

One of the most essential parts of Build Back Better is the climate components. Our weather is getting weirder and more dangerous, but that has not convinced enough people to make it our top priority.

The best TV program?

Ted Lasso, hands down. Seriously, hands down,  You don't use them in soccer.

Right now, Yellowjackets from Showtime has been a really wild ride, centered on a young women's soccer team whose plane crashes in Northern Ontario. It shifts between them trying to survive the 90s crash and on a few survivors in the present day. In some ways, it reminds me of my novel, History of the Trap.*

Ghosts from CBS is one of the funniest broadcast network shows I've seen in a while. It's based on a BBC show, and we hope to see that soon.

The worst TV program?

Anything on Fox News.

The best movie?

Look, I'm a superhero fan. So chill your artsy-fartsy heart. The best movie I've seen this year is Spider-Man: Far From Home. It's one of the best superhero movies I've ever seen.

But I've only seen about three movies from the theatre this year.

We've seen a number from our streaming services. The best include Judas and the Black Messiah, A Quiet Place 2, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. 

The worst movie?

The Woman in the Window, based on a novel by A.J. Finn. It is customary to be disappointed by a movie based on a book, but this was extra-special in missing the feel of the book by a country mile.

The best sports moment of the year?

MICHIGAN BEAT OHIO STATE!!!

MICHIGAN BEAT OHIO STATE!!!

MICHIGAN BEAT OHIO STATE!!!

Did I say of the year? How about of the CENTURY!!!

Well, at least until next year.

The worst sports moment?

Aaron Rodgers lying about being vaccinated.

For me, the year has been pretty darn good. I retired from accounting, and I think 2022 will be the year I become a grandfather. Benjamin is doing well in school and is a delicate, sensitive, and caring young man. Alison doesn't mind me being home more and is taking up crocheting.

COVID-19 continues to be a challenge, but my family is vaccinated and boosted. Omicron will be almost universal, but at least we are prepared for it. It hurts to see so many around here not take special care to protect themself and others.

I will celebrate New Year's Eve with family, serving homemade pizzas.  

And yes, this year there will be a football game. What can I say? If Georgia was playing anybody else...

But they're not.

So...

GO BLUE!!!

Monday Morning Ketchup

 Hello!

It's time for me to "Ketch" You "Up" with what I have been doing.

#1: Boxing Up Comic Books

I continue to process and catalog my comic books for a potential mass sale.  It takes a better part of a day to process a box, with anywhere from 140 to 200 comics. Then, I have to examine each comic's condition and price them fairly according to the most recent coming price guidebook. So far, I have 17 boxes done, with an estimated 25 to 30 boxes to go.

I'm keeping some, but most are going.  I hope this raises some money for my family and fills in the gap of me not working. 

When this is done, I will concentrate more on some other projects.  Some may have a money-making angle, some maybe just because I've always wanted to do them.

This project takes anywhere from 20 to 30 hours a week.

#2: Church Treasury Position

Whee!  It's the only accounting/bookkeeping I have left.  It's taking a bit more time than normal as I look at year-end stuff and budget preparations.

This takes me 5 to 7 hours a week right now.  By February, it will be more like 3 to 5 hours.

#3: Household Chores

I am trying to help more with household chores.  Some I'm doing myself.  Others I'm doing in conjunction with Alison.

This also is about 5 to 7 hours a week.  Maybe a little more.  Some of it I'm multi-tasking, like vacuuming, while Password is on the Buzzer channel.  It generally has almost as many minutes of commercials as show.

#4: Writing

At this point, most of my writing is on the blog.  Hopefully, that will change once I'm done cataloging comic books.  This is taking  3 to 5 hours a week.

#5: Reading

I'm reading a bit more than I was.  I currently am reading Wise Man's Fears by Patrick Rothfuss, part 2 of a fantasy series that covers the university career of someone who becomes the greatest wizard in their world.  The book is over 1,100 pages.

I am also reading a book by the future Governor of Georgia, Stacey Abrams, While Justice Sleeps, a thriller set in the Supreme Court.

I read one hard copy comic book a day and up to six online comic books using the Marvel Unlimited and DC Universe Infinite apps.  Although I don't like reading books online, I very much enjoy reading comic books.  I can make them as big as I need and go panel to panel.

All of this is taking 10 to 15 hours a week.  Maybe more.  

#6: Slow Bingeing TV

This is referring only to when I am devoted solely to the TV and am not multi-tasking.  

I watch an hour or less when I eat lunch.  I catch up on new seasons of shows I like.  I finished getting up-to-date with DC's Legends of Tomorrow (a really clever and kicky time travel show) and am now getting up to date with Supergirl.  

At night, I watch an hour or two with Alison.  We are currently watching Yellowjackets from Showtime, The Rookie and Big Sky from ABC, the reality shows Survivor and The Masked Singer from CBS, and Ghosts from the same network.  Ghosts is one of the funniest shows I have seen in a long time.

I also watch an hour or so after Alison goes to bed.  I am watching Dexter: New Blood from Showtime and Invasion from Apple +.  Dexter: New Blood is a good show, but I really don't like Dexter and do not find him any kind of hero.  Invasion is a show where the audience ratings have been less than stellar, but I have really been enjoying it.  It's a bit of a slow burn, but that's okay with me.

Benjamin sometimes watches something with us, now that he is on Christmas break.  He likes the Hawkeye series on Disney Plus.

Yeah, I admit it.  I am a TVholic. All this is on the line of about 20 to 25 hours a week.  Sue me.

There are other activities:  Shopping, eating out (or taking out) about once a week, talking with family, crossword puzzles, exercise, bonding with the dogs.

The key takeaway?  I'm far from bored in retirement, and I have little understanding of those who are.  In some ways, this is what I've been practicing for my whole life.

I have other projects to come, especially once the comic books are cataloged and sold.  I would like to get back to History of the Trap and other stories.  I would like to promote The Extra Credit Club, either published or self-published.

Don't laugh, but I would like to learn how to draw.  It would be awesome to learn enough to illustrate my own books.

And voice work is always in the back of my mind.  Maybe someday, it will be in the forefront.

Thanks for reading my little "ketch-up"!

T. M. Strait

Have Yourself A Very Many Christmas Stories!

Do you like the Carol Burnett Show?  Saturday Night Live? Second City Televison?

 Then you do not want to miss this show!

This is not your typical Christmas show.  But it is first-class sketch comedy.  It does breeze through every Christmas Story Ever Told (well, a good chunk) and does it at break-neck speed.

Some Christmas stories are mashed together, weaving a hilarious comedic blend.

The most outstanding part of this show is the acting.  When you only have three people on stage, they better be darn good to hold your attention.  And the three fine thespians here do that, turned up to 11!

All three are outstanding.  Caleb Boatright is a bright highlight, a physical comedian gifted at pulling the audience in. Alexandria Weekley is the intense, sincere center of the play, the "Straight Man" whom nothing else works unless she is spot on.

Kayla Dizon is a tour de force, one of the most dazzling performances I have ever seen.  The sheer volume of dialogue she has - you're barely conscious of it because she blasts through it with such perfection and force.  Every. Single. Word. She Utters...LANDS!  She varies her voice and mannerisms to a multitude of characters.  She pronounces strange, foreign words from a host of countries, all as if she were a native.

There is an interactive element to the show, so be prepared for that.  It's not too involving.  You won't have to jump off a scaffold. But you might have to answer some questions.

I love A Christmas Carol.  It's the one show I could do over and over again.  I've played Marley's ghost once and Scrooge twice.  It's a powerful story and holds significant meaning to me.

There is some fun made in the play about how A Christmas Carol is overdone.  Maybe.

I will say this. I see variations of A Christmas Carol being performed more often than the traditional telling. So why do writers, performers, and theatre-goers keep coming back to the same remarkable story and plotline if it's overdone?

Give yourself an extra special Christmas Present!

COME SEE THIS SHOW!!!

My First Comics Were not Super-Hero Comics

I have been collecting comics for a very long time.

The first ones I bought (well, my mother bought them) were when I was 5 years old, in Kindergarten.  I was an early reader, thanks to my mother.  She would go to the local grocery store and leave me near the magazines and books.  That is where I saw the incredible Classics Illustrated, Jr. comic books.  They were marvelous retellings of fairy tales and other children's classics.

I don't know what the first one was.  It very well could have been this one.  It dates back to the late fifties, and it was 1960 when I would have picked it up.

The titles apparently didn't change fast enough for me at the grocery store. However, an ad in the back would enable you to mail order comics you wanted.  My mother let me select three, costing a whopping 45 cents total (plus shipping).

That was the longest wait of my life.  When you're five, three to four weeks can seem a lifetime.  Every day I would check the mailbox in eager anticipation.  Until the glorious day they finally arrived.

What did I order?  Stories that had Princess in the title.  I'll leave others to psychoanalyze what that meant. I know that when I was three, I looked at an art book that my parents had and was mesmerized by a picture of St. George slaying a dragon, thereby rescuing a princess.  When people ask me what career I was first interested in, I know the answer.  A dragon slayer.  I wanted to be a dragon slayer.

This one may have been the original one.  Or it could have been part of the mail order.  It's the most beat-up of the ones I have.  But to me, it is a sign that I loved it very much.  I must have kept it out and carried it with me, and read it over and over.

Some were renditions that remained uninfluenced by the Disney animations.  Beauty and the Beast is an example of this.

It wasn't long before I moved on to other comics.  I liked comics of TV shows, like Sea Hunt and Davy Crockett.  I don't think I got superhero comics until about 1963.  

I've never stopped reading comic books.  I've never stopped collecting.  From 5 to 66, they have been a part of my life.

Now that I have retired from accounting, I am cataloging my collection and preparing it for a potential mass sale.

It's not a quick process.  It takes time, research, and organization.  And then there are times when I discover long-unseen treasures, and I have to detour down memory lane for a while.

Stay tuned!  There are more excursions to come!

 

This Dog Loves Me

 

Well, probably.

It's hard to directly attribute human emotion to an animal.

It certainly likes me feeding it.  And it likes to be in the same room I'm in.  And it gets in my lap when I sit down.  And it's excited when I come home - even when I'm just gone a couple minutes to take out the garbage can.

Boss-A-Man was my semi-retirement dog, recently promoted to full retirement dog.  He was our last rescue foster.  He lived with two older ladies in a van down by the river (or bridge, or something like that), along with a dozen other dogs.  When we rescued him, he was a mess.  He had heartworms, seizures, matted fur, starving, rotted teeth.  

That was over four years ago.  The vet estimated Boss-A-Man's age at 10 years old.  

But we nursed Boss-A-Man along to much better health.  Some improvements took a few weeks.  Others took years.  Boss-A-Man is in a good place now, health-wise.  He doesn't have too many teeth, and he still has a seizure once every few months.  But overall, he is a happy, healthy dog.

And I doubt he is now 14 years old.  Although with foster rescues, you can never be too sure.

Boss-A-Man's name was originally Bossman.  But early in our relationship with the dog, we had a visit from Alison's Cousin Suzi and her two young sons, Milo and Ollie.  Ollie was a toddler who was thrilled by our little pet and called him "Boss-A-Man!"  I loved it and have been using it ever since.  Alison uses it some, but she also calls him Bossy.

Interesting aside - Ollie's father is a professional animal trainer and handles animals used in movies, including the tigers used in The Hangover movies.

What breed is Boss-A-Man?  Beats me.  Mixed breed, but what the mix is, I don't know.  Chihuahua? Papillion? Pomeranian?  Sheepdog?  Well, probably not a sheepdog. But you get the idea.

Does Boss-A-Man love me? 

I know that I love Boss-A-Man.  I know that my life is richer and more enjoyable for him being in it.

Does Boss-A-Man love me?

Maybe they're right.  Maybe human emotions don't translate directly to whatever animals experience.

But I think it's close enough.  Animals may not have the same intellect as people.  But I don't believe they are soulless, driven only by instinct. On the contrary, animal research demonstrates that animals have richer emotional lives than we give them credit for.

Does Boss-A-Man love me?

Within the context of dog emotions, I think he does.

So, yes.  Yes, he does.

And that's the answer I'm going to go with.