Winning Hearts and Minds (finally, my ultimate goal is being achieved)

 

On the beach at Mismaloya in front of "Teo's" palapa (which resides on the site of the beach bar in THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA movie), two days ago. The "camera-artist" Vidal who hails variously from Florence, Italy (where he was born), South Africa (where he grew up), and Hawaii (where he spent most of his adult life and now has a guest house with his life partner), took the picture.

(Kindly ignore the twins, baking in my oven.)

>>> EMAIL TO A FRIEND:

Last night after the Monsoon Rains began (on the evening of my 61st birthday), I began an apartment-cleaning jag, which has continued this morning. But I will now head to the beach for a couple of hours, hoping to stay ahead of TODAY'S rains, which are promised to end by mid-October.

The cleaning and organizing of my apartment has cleared much in my head. That said, I DID watch ALICE IN WONDERLAND last night, and it was as fun and fabulous as when I had to read the book in 9th grade for Mrs. Funk's (nee Altemose -- she married during the school year) Algera I class at North Junior High in West Chester, PA, circa 1966.

We had to do a MATH and LOGIC (Algebra) report on the book, and I ACED IT!!!

We had a class clown, first-named Walter, who had a school-year-long running humorous-adversarial, heckling relationship with teacher Funk/Altemose. I was very shy in class back then, but one time -- with PERFECT timing, and YES the two of them occasionally chased each other around the classroom like cat and mouse until the erasure-throwing (fun typo!!!) Mrs. Funk/Miss Altemose let loose finally (as we always knew she would) and NAILED Walter with an ugly-free zinger.

In any case, ONE day whilst Walter was running hither and yon dodging erasers and running his mouth INTERMINABLY, I piped up and hollared, "Walter -- QUICK!!! -- jump in your mouth and HIDE!!!"

Well, it seems a bit juvenile now, but I was IMMEDIATELY included in the invitations list to all my peers' BEST PARTIES!!! (I was new to public schools, having spent 7th and 8th grades at Sts. Phillip & James Parochial School, so had no friends yet -- until that moment!!!)

In other news, I had an EXCELLENT conversation yesterday with sister Jane -- FOR AN HOUR -- and then another twenty minutes or so with my parents and Jane at my parents' house preparing for Father's Day (which I actually greeted Dad about, semi-embarrassed that I had thought LAST Sunday was Father's Day).

>>> SHOCKING!!!: My mother handed Jane paper and a working pen to get the sequence of numbers so that they can call me if they desire to do so. (I TOLD you I always win!!!)

Up next??? I'll attempt to call my brother Mike and younger sister Julie this evening. They hadn't called Dad yet, and when they do, I believe they will be told that "It's safe to talk to Scott now."

How 'bout THEM damn apples, Senor???

Scott Who Art in Heaven

 

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