Notable People: Ben Miller, Emma Naomi, Barney White, Sarah Woodward, Frances de la Tour, Created by: Matt Baker
Title: Professor T
Review: the brilliant Ben Miller (Death in Paradise) plays Professor Jasper Tempest, a genius criminologist at Cambridge who has major OCD (wears gloves at all times) and an overbearing mother. He reluctantly (and often hilariously) assists the police in solving bizarre crimes. It is an adaptation from a Belgian TV series of the same name – but the original is not nearly as good without the eccentric Miller. Season 3 went even deeper on defining the origins of our hero’s over-the-moon angst, and Miller just gets quirkier and quirkier. This season also feature a greater role for his possibly even more eccentric mother, played most appropriately over-the-top by de la Tour. A fourth season is already in the works. Miller makes it worth watching.
Notable People: Matt Smith, Eve Best, Paddy Considine, Olivia Cooke…and cast of thousands Created by: George RR Martin, Ryan Condal
Title: House of the Dragon
Review: well, I don’t think the breathlessly awaited second season managed to hold on to the standard set by Thrones or from its own Season 1. I struggled at times with keeping up with the plot swings and myriad of scheming characters; many of whom look and sound alike (is that prejudicial to say?) Not aa crisp as season one, but still…..What’s not to like? Dragons, deceit, drama, cuckoldry, heads falling left and right, mystical medicine men, bloodletting, children with big swords……set 200 years before Game of Thrones, the show is the origin story for all the families and the history of the coveted Iron Throne that we became acquainted with the groundbreaking GOT show. The cinematography is magnificent, the sets and costumes beyond compare and the acting almost Shakespearian. The hour is over before you know it. Feeling certain there is a next version to come in this veritable goldmine for HBO. And, man, how about them dragons?
Notable People: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey, Jr., Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Title: Oppenheimer
Review: Under the category of better late than never, we finally made the time to watch this very long 3 hours’ epic historical drama-on Prime. Worked pretty well on the small screen- for which I am not typically a fan for watching films. Murphy is quietly brilliant in the lead role, just flat out owns sit-and what departure from his turn in Peaky Blinders. Loved the Einstein interactions and the film captured this extraordinary period in American history; both in terms of the race to end the war through atomic power and the McCarthy era shameful witch hunts. Very good cast and vey powerfully filmed. Blunt is excellent as the suffering spouse and Downey is nuts, as usual, which he does really well. I found it really invigorating for about 2 ½ hours but waned at the end-a bit too long for my tastes. But, an important work about an extraordinary man and time/event. Take a nap and give it a go.
“The flowers fall for all our yearning; weeds grow, regardless of our dislike” ……………ZEN
“AH…The uguisu pooped on the rice cakes on the verandah?” ………………………Are You Kidding?
“Ooh, Baby, Baby…. It’s a Wild World” …………………………………………………………………………………………………Cat Stevens
Well, it’s been a quiet week at The Mount; the week of recovery and renewal……………………… And very, VERY quiet. After an incredible six weeks of house painting, trekking across the country for a visit to the heartland, the exotica of Band Week and then a week of granddaughters………………………… It was time to turn off and tune out…………………………………. Still, here are my ruminations on late August in The Greens:
This week’s Fun Vermont Fact: there is still an original living Von Trapp family member hanging out up Stowe way…………………………… At the Trapp Family Lodge…………………. where the Sound of Music remains vibrant………………………… Sadly, no Julie Andrews…………………………………….
My ZEN observation of the week: “there was nothing about this turnoff that suggested this” ………………
Mid-August in Vermont means 75 degree day’s journey into 35° nights……………………… And sneaking peeks at the start of our Leafy Glory…………………………… More to come…….
After a certain age the role of Death and Dying becomes stunningly more prominent……………………………… We lost one acquaintance here our first nine years of living here…………………………… Over the last three, we have had four people pass, two friends losetheir spouse, and regularly seen to have people in Hospice……………………… Aging is not for Wussies, my friends……………
Sunday’s are often highlight days for us- meandering drives, dirt road walks and search for adventure……… Last week the drive was down the western slopes to little Putney………. A walk on the great Rail Trails system, lunch on the ground, the drive up the Route 30 Falcons Cliffs corridor……………… Abandoned buildings and factories tell us stories of times and lives gone by………………. Listen closely and you can hear the shadows………………………….
Have you ever considered the number of abandoned campuses in this country………………………? Last week we came upon the beauty and serenity of the late Green Mountain college in Poultney…… abandoned five years ago for not meeting the threshold of economic viability…………………………. It now sits as a magnificent post monument to education, thriving community and ideals……………………………… But let’s be real, how many homeless people could be housed on these campuses……………how many events that could help the community thrive could be happening…………………. Use the empty, fill the void……
This Sunday, we wandered east to Chester and Bellows Falls (then donning our masks to slip over to the Land of Live FREE or Die -for cheap alcohol purchase) ………………………. stopped at a giant Estate sale, (Does an “Estate Sale” by title, increase prices by 50% over plain old yard and garage sales?) ………. On to a dirt road hike at the Andover Road Pass …………………………. That produced the latest entry in the Queens effort to fulfill her palatial dreams via scavenging…………………. This, producing a new rule that all outings need be accompanied by the collection a flat river rocks……… Which could lead to reaching appropriate accumulation and become a true Vermonty stone wall right in our front yard………………………………… Further pushing our Flatlander-ness to the distant past……
We seem to lately have made inroads into inclusion with the hirsute fifth local in- crowd, such as it is………………………… But with regular invitations to a ménage of community gatherings…………. Most of which The Queen attends…………………………… And for which the Papi routinely hides………. Though the weekly Monday night music has recently become quite improvisational…………. Sending the traditional Folkies scampering for the exits………………… While the cats are away……….
How about Bernie?………………………. 81 years of fire and brimstone………………………… And then, the Obama royalty………………………………. What a party………………………. The most restored my faith in the potential of our democracy has been in some time…………… And where in the world has this Kamala been………………………. Taking my breath away at the moment……………. What a novel idea that we might have dignity at our helm.………. And that the Complainer N’ Chief may be more likely to wear an orange jumpsuit then to take up space at the Oval………………………………………. please don’t bury me in that cold, cold ground…………. I’d rather that you cut me up, and pass me all around…………
In my search to replace my late point and shoot camera, I took it this week down to Trader Ricks’ House of Bizarre, in West Rutland………………………………………. At which you can buy the remnants of every attic, basement, garage and self-storage unit for the entire Northeast United States……………………… That is, if you can make it down one of the aisles without being crushed by ancient trombones, shovels, axes or un-sheathed swords……………………………. And all forms of 30 year defunct electronics…………… But no point and shoot……….
Thursday was catch up shopping day ……………………………… So into Rutland for the Miracle Mile and shop till we drop………………………………… Sneaking in a visit to Ernie’s Hand Carved for a lo-cal pastrami and corned beef combo……………………. Followed by some local donuts…………………… On the way home, scored a single remaining tickets to Weston playhouse (you can always find ONE ticket…………………………. Since The Queen was busy with her Court, took myself out for the solo theater outing and the magnificence of The Porch on Windy Hill…………… the premier of a wonderful new play, focusing on the post-Covid hate experiences of Asian Americans, but set in the heart of Appalachian town…………………… and with an extraordinary threesome of musicians creating brilliant old timey Americana music ……………………. Quite a contrast, scoring big both dramatically and musically………. A rare feat…… 20 dark- road minutes there and 20 home…… Allowing for an almost Broadway experience…. With free parking……………….
Headed up on Saturday night to Lake Nineveh to play music for a gathering of the elite…………. At a small private beach to which we would not usually be welcomed…………. But music is the ultimate remover of barriers……………………. Maybe we need a better sound system at the border……………. C’mon people now, smile on your brother….
And that my friends, is most certainly enough…………………… Without doubt for you and beyond doubt……. for me………
Keep coming back……………………………… It works if you work it……………………………Papi
Notable People: Hoa Xuande, Robert Downey Jr., Fred Nguyen Kahn, Created by: Jez Scharf
Title: The Sympathizer
Grade: an historical black comedy drama miniseries based on the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguye. The series is based on the story of the Captain, a North Vietnam spy in the South Vietnam army. He is forced to flee to the United States with his general near the end of the Vietnam War. While living within a community of South Vietnamese refugees, he continues to secretly spy on the community and report back to the Viet Cong, struggling between his original loyalties and his new life. I really liked the book, but the series is pretty hard to follow and bizarre, to say the least. Black comedy does not quite fully describe this. The era described, and the portrayal of Vietnamese refugees to America, it interesting and its alternating sunny 70s LA and the jungles of Vietnam is compelling. The acting is good. Downy is thoroughly out of control, playing four distinctly different, and equally crazy- person roles.
Review: fine writers ranging from John Irving to Stephen King have proclaimed Burke to be our greatest living writer. Nearing 90, he remains prolific, and his wheelhouse mainstay has been his amazing Dave Robicheaux series, which he has penned for nearly 40 years now; leading us deftly through the swamp and bayous of southern Louisiana with acuity of spirit and a narrative style matched by none. Lift any paragraph from any Burke book, and it is instantly recognizable, and incomparable in its descriptive power and lucidity-it takes you there and then. The fact that these are “mysteries” is irrelevant; Burke’s greatness transcends genre. All that said, this is an unusual effort to have Dave’s perennial sidekick, Clete Purcell, a larger than life character for 40 years tell this story in the first person. It is a brave experiment in writing, and somewhat of an adjustment and the telling lacks some of the finesse of his other books, but then Clete has never been accused of finesse. I struggled a bit with the folksy narrative, but that is nit-picking. It is JLB, and always worth reading. And you will never know the bayou of south Louisiana, in is history, culture and demons like after reading one of these books.
“When it is winter, speak cold; when it is summer, speak hot” ……………………………Chao-Chou
“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders” ………………………………… Chuang- Tzu
“My dog doesn’t worry about the meaning of life” …………………………………………Charlotte Beck
And, The Queen, provides the motto of the week- metaphor or not, yours to decide – “My flowers are wilting” ……………………………
It’s another Saturday night…and I ain’t got nobody…. got some money, cause I just got paid…….
So, quite the ten day or so, since we last manifested our shared joy and angst………enough time for us to recover (barely) from annual band weeks and two weeks of house painting (TQ mentioned her next nine covetous house projects today, and I stopped the car in the middle of traffic, got out and left it running, and headed for Quebec) … and so welcomed our Cleveland granddaughters for a week, whilst their parents traipsed around the Northeast…………Safe to say I probably took more pictures than it would seem humanly possible….but that is the Papi-San thing to do….so having now crashed my laptop (again) trying to send myself too many photos, then trying to attach too any photos and then trying to exorcise too many photos…I have now resorted to a (Google defined) manageable set of attachments………BUT…..if you prefer to gluttonize……the link to the whole shebang…too much cuteness/how to wear out two aging adults photo album is yours, a click away: https://photos.app.goo.gl/mLCwcxrFAZvdN82n7
So, where to start…tempted to say to just put on your readers, and look at the photo obsessions……but….no cheating here…maybe just a synopsis? (how likely is that?)
Recovery days were good last week……. we also have had our other apples of NanaPapi eyes have a third b’day (Parkie) and firs 1st day of Kinder garden (Sloanie)…al in the rearview mirror for our two intrepid elders…. Highlights, highlights…yes, please…..
Fade to calm before the storm….
Saturday night- we went to Vermonty hay bale diner at nearby Plew Farm, from whenst we get out meat products, eggs and folk wisdom……the family arrived at nigh midnight with sleeping angelic girls…had a bit of chat time with Ry and Lauren and off to prepare ourselves for a week of action
Sunday- morning saw the cod up kids wild tour of the property, turtle searching and rock climbing in the yard….which soon led to a five minute span in which the little angels managed to brake my little camera and take the head of one of our Buddhas….but, hey…you know the saying, it can all be replaced, right (actually I spent time this week discovering that my beloved lil’ camera, which I paid under $100 for new, and replaced when it drowned for $25 on EBAY, is now listing used for around $300…apparently having become a cult item…..(an antique?)…so then off to Mt holly Daze…where we cavorted with the locals whilst The Queen held Court………discovered that Quinnley was a sack race champion and that Harper could not stand up in the sack, which led to____(more foreshadowing)….
Monday morning the parents took off and we initiated entertainment with a trek up the hill for blueberry stealing/picking…and our first of many efforts to keep Ivy from trying to reverse impregnate little Olaf…did I mention that the little circus coke as part of eh g-daughter package?……well Ivy is having her first heat and is momentarily over her zest for Lucy in favor of lil’ Mr. Olaf’s testosterone …all seven pounds of him…..got in a trip to the farm for organic lessons and toddler whispering by TQ……and withstood seven 4 year old meltdowns in an hour …is No a two syllable word…..Noooo-aahhhhh………….
Tuesday was a first outing day with a hike, a trip to the library to make off with some illicitly borrowed kids’ books (everyone in town has the key access, you may remember)…then down the 140 to Wallingford for lunch and best Vermont Creamees at Kelly’s and an aborted trip to the cloud Sparkle Barn…..then on to make-up miniature gold at the drug cartel front that passes as play center o mild of nowhere on Route 7….”I’m from Brooklyn and you can F-off guy at the helm……safe to say the PGA will not threatened by our golf outing at the awful miniature course, where Harps ran of with the balls into the woods……… after dinner that night, amazingly TQ organized a sleep out to the tent she set up in the yard for Vermonty camp adventure…whilst Papi, Lucy and Mr. Olaf shard the big bed and the AC…you go, Nana…..they made it through the night only to be awakened at 6 am by a howling Ivy who could not figure out what this was all about…..
Wednesday we braved a trip to Lake Nineveh……preparation time 4.5 hours….and the munchkin’s 1st Kayaking adventure……where Quinnley tried out solo kayaking in a mini….and did great for about 15 minutes…then required rescue…. beach time was required, which meant coming ashore on a sign, sign, everywhere a sign private beach…and then having to withstand a privacy discussion/see the sign lecture from a senile homeowner who could not remember he knew Jenn and I pretty well and was alternately pissed off and enamored by the kids …’such blonde hair I’ve never seen”………Nana had a Queen meeting to attend, so Papi strapped the kids in for date night, which involved grocery and Mart adventures…hikes to the covered bridge and the swinging bridge …dinner at the 99, where we discovered kids eat free the night after a Sox victory(Go SOX) at this beloved, and mediocre, New England institution….can you say Lobsta roll?…then down for more creamee heaven
Thursday was total adventure day with a perhaps overly ambitious (certainly not Papi, you say?) 12 hour Burlington experience…a two plus hour drive (are we there yet)…to the Echo/Leahy (our other Senator) Science Center on the lake for the MO Willem interactive exhibition mania…who knew about the Pidgeon?…..fancy-ish luncheon on the dock on shores of the Champlain….then pile back in for the short but unhappy trip down rush hour route 7 to the Shelburne museum….10 acres of majesty with art and an 1800s village…with ride ons the 100 year old caroused…..the magnificent history of the circus in miniature of 100 years of the big top….then onto the incredibly restored elegance of a private t rail train-circa 1890 -and the last of the great Lake steam ships…are we tired yet?….not quite…on back to Rootland…for pizza at Ramuntos and, yes…another creamee………..
Friday was a home day with games, tears and Pond swimming…. which was somewhat tempered by clouds, yucky-yucky- oooh…brown water and the threat of being consumed by ancient snapping turtle……screaming and Papi rescue ensuing…… though Mr. Olaf seemed to love the Pond…as did ivy when she discovered her unrequited love was trashing around in there………………………
The big kids showed back up late Friday afternoon…full of their own week of joy…and we let them adjust by Papi schlepping the girls and Lucy down to see the weekly music extravaganza at Okemo…music was lousy….the Connecticut mob was boorish and there were no other little kids…….but we gallivanted nonetheless and managed one last series of photo ops…before succumbing to hanger and heading home- but not before a stop at Shaw’s in Ludlow to get a bread for dinner, which included a quick 3-way shared chocolate iced donut, that we might have gotten away with as a freebie if Harper were not bathed in it…hosing required… home then for the house special Bolognese…and finally, to bed
They all left around noon today….and NanaPapi embarked to cleanup/collapse mode…. from which we may emerge sometime yet this year…….
All’s well that ends well…the Dumpmaster was very happy to see us back at it today…and Ivy decided to come in the house and that maybe we were really her parents…..which did not go over that well with Saffron…..but.. tomorrow is a day…start of a new week….and no more looking for love in all the wrong places………
Notable People: Will Forte, Siobhan Cullen, Robyn Cara, David Wilmot, Chris Walley, Created by: Jez Scharf
Title: Bodkin
Grade: Gilbert Power, an American podcaster, travels to Bodkin, an Irish coastal town, to investigate a cold case involving the disappearance of three people during a Samhaim celebration several decades prior. He is joined by Dublin-born “Dove” Maloney, an investigative journalist in London who is sent on assignment after the death of her source, a government whistleblower and Emmy, an aspiring journalist. This show started out clearly as a very back comedy, but morphed into something else that I had trouble following. On the other hand, JB seemed to really like it…might be our age difference and associated cognitive capabilities. We watched the seven episodes over quite a long period of time (as watching a dozen at a time) and this one might be better served to more or less binging-to keep up with the characters and plot twists. Very nice ensemble cast. One and done.
Notable People: Jeremy Renner, Dianne Wiest, Hugh Dillon, Tobi Bamtefa, Taylor Handley, Emma Laird, Alden Gillen, Created by: Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon
Title: The Mayor of Kingstown
Grade: Double WOW- the third season somehow topped the first two for intensity and darkness. Role of a lifetime for Jeremy Renner (his walk alone is worth the price of admission) and it just got better as the season went on. You can’t get grittier than this. Lots of violence and stuff to make you wonder about our shared morality -so not for everyone. But, extremely well done. The writers on this show (including the ubiquitous Taylor Sheridan) are outstanding and the ensemble cast around The Mayor, magnificent. Shockingly, three seems to be a season 4 in the works. Great television!!!
Review: This very moving testament to his mother from McBride, a noted musician and writer, who was one of 12 black children born of, and raised by a white mother, starting in the 1940s. From the deep south to the notorious Red Hook (housing) Projects of Brooklyn and Harlem in its golden age, it a wonderful tale; alternating his and his mother’s story; she of an orthodox Jewish family and rabbi father, who became fully invested in black America at a time when it was not an easy choice (is it ever?). The parallels between the Jewish and African –American experience are potent; as is the sense of loss and alienation for her and for her children. Poignantly written with a great deal of emotion, it is a work worth pursuing, though, admittedly, I would not see McBride as a top echelon writer…but his story…..
