Having been fascinated, if occasionally confounded, by Will Arbery's Heroes of the Fourth Turning when I caught it at Playwrights Horizons a little over a year ago, I'm curious to see the Wilma Theater's new virtual production.  I've been thinking of checking it out ever since hearing about it a few weeks ago, but even more so after reading Jesse Green's thumbnail comparison of the two stagings (he loved both) in yesterday's NYT.

Winter seems here to stay in NYC, which sucks Covid-wise and moodwise and everything-else-wise.  (Although, not so fast: right now they're claiming we'll get back up into the low 60s next Sunday).

But looking ahead, I read the other day that Warner Bros. has decided to stream all 17 of its major 2021 theatrical releases on HBO Max, for a month each, beginning simultaneously with their respective theatrical openings. (Every part of that plan may be subject to unforeseeable change, of course).

Of that slate, the only title I care a whole lot about is In The Heights, which had earlier been bumped forward from summer 2020 to summer 2021.  I'd still much rather see it in a movie theatre, if it's possible to do so safely at that point.  But it's nice to know that, under the current plan, it hopefully won't get bumped yet again, and should at least be viewable at home beginning June 18.

It is Sunday, which means the first week of the current PBS pledge drive is over! Unfortunately, this one lasts two weeks. I really need to find something else to watch, or semi-watch. PBS is good for kind of watching in the background, but not entirely paying attention to.

Today was a nice day, with temps in the 60s.

I spent the morning sitting in my car in a virtual line waiting for some limited edition radio station CDs for sale. I can't say I liked the experience of being in a virtual line. It took me about an hour to get to the front of the line. I purchased six CDs (the limit), and was going to wait in the virtual line again to get another six, but then another shopper in the parking lot said that the virtual line app wasn't working, so there was a physical line forming. At that point, I thought I didn't want to deal with the line anymore, real or virtual, so I left.

I passed by the new In-n-Out Burgers, which had a real line of traffic at the drive-thru and waiting to turn into the drive-thru. There is a variable message board (like the ones they have for traffic and road closures) directing traffic where to go. I had been planning to go to Raising Cane's to get some chicken fingers, but they seemed to be absorbing the spillover traffic, so I made a big circle around the block and headed home.

Now I am thinking of going grocery shopping.

This morning I'm flying down to Orlando for a weekend at Universal's Studios & Islands of Adventure.  My friend, Dori, planned this get-a-way months ago.  I'm more nervous about traveling on this trip than the other two since on this one I will be going to a place filled with people.  But the parks are not filling to their capacity, they are strictly enforcing mask wearing, you have to sanitize your hands before getting on a ride, and we are attending an after-hours event which will reduce the number of people in the parks even further.  We are looking forward to seeing the parks decked out for the Holidays.  

I put up some of our Christmas lights last night.  I will finish on Tuesday or Wednesday.  This might be the year I put lights on the bushes on the other side of the porch.  (There is only an outlet on one side of the porch. This year I might get a piece of PVC pipe through which to run the electrical cord and protect it from the snow blower and/or becoming a tripping hazard.  The cord has to run past the front steps if I want to create a balanced display.)

My big accomplishment for the day was walking across the street to pick up some cashew chicken. It is a nice day outside, and the walk was pleasant. I think next time I am going to ask if they can substitute mushrooms for the zucchini. I don't care for zucchini, and they use huge slabs of it. The good news is that I have enough for dinner, or, if I can wait that long, for lunch tomorrow. 

And that has been my exciting Thursday!

Awwwww... poor baby. Except I'm not supposed to feel too sorry for him. What a cutie.

A couple of months ago one of my friend's cat, Pico, broke his ankle.  He probably got clipped by a car.  So they took him to the vet and decided to have pins inserted to fit his leg.  There were many tiny pins to place so this was a BIG surgery and he is still recovering. He is off painkillers and gets a new bandage every few days.  He is in the homestretch and hopefully in a month he'll be free of the bandage and won't be under house arrest anymore. 

He got his third type of bandage the other day and he doesn't like it.  (He didn't like the 2nd one for a while either.  My friend's theory is that the new bandages are lighter and offer more range of motion.  This in turn is causing him to use muscles he hasn't used in week and that is causing the discomfort.) 
Since he got his new bandage he was sulking/hiding in their bedroom the entire day.  Here he is in Rich's spot on the bed.
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Here he is after Rich stepped into the room.  You can see Rich's legs in the photo.  I think Pico knows he's about to be moved and doesn't like it.
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Don't feel too bad for Pico.  My room/the guest room downstairs is his recovery room.  He has a queen sized bed down there that he gets all to himself.  This is him a few days ago.  He sat like that for at least 30 minutes before he finally laid down and fell asleep. Dori must have been washing the sheets because the bed is usually made up and he has blankets and a comforter upon which to lounge.   (The cardboard wall is something Rich put up when Pico first came home.  It is to prevent him from jumping off the side of the bed.  It didn't work for very long.  Pico starting jumping and running around the house well over a month ago. Pico is a young, rebel cat who is full of energy.)
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Hartford Stage is doing a version of their Christmas Carol this year.  It's free to stream. 

A COMMUNITY CAROL
OPENING NIGHT
DECEMBER 17, 2020 | 7:30 PM
A recorded version will be available through Monday, December 21 at 7:30 pm.
Inspired by Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol
Collectively Created in Community
IMPORTANT INFO
Approximate Running Time
70 minutes
Recommended Age
Recommended for the entire family!

Oh, and one more, announced today:

https://www.59e59.org/shows/show-detail/virtual-reading-a-christmas-carol/

...featuring Raúl Esparza giving the Old Vic's Andrew Lincoln a run for his money in 2020's Hot Scrooge-Off.