Sylvia's Scenario

No, I am not in Singapore but Nick is there for another work-related trip and he has been texting us lots of photos, as he usually does when he goes to Singapore.  He's been there several times, I've lost count, but he goes there often for work.  He would love for us to go to Singapore because he is so fascinated with it but I'm not sure I could handle the heat.  It's on the equator and it is hot twelve months of the year and mean hot and humid , my most unfavorite type of any weather.  I was in Japan last year in July and Nick said that was similar to how Singapore always is. It's the humidity that's tough; that muggy, jungle-type heat.  But there are so many things he loves about Singapore that he doesn't mind the heat.  The first thing he loves is the food.  He sent us the photo above of Chinese/Japanese/Singaporean fusion humbao sliders.  Top left clockwise;  vegetable tempura; tempura salmon mentaiko (Japanese spicy fish egg);...

I am obsessed with Tonya Harding right now. After I saw her at the Golden Globes, I was shocked and thought, "What the heck is she doing there?". I'd seen previews of the upcoming movie and was eager to see it because I remember the whole incident really well and was obsessed with it back in 1994. Then I noticed several documentaries on TV with the real Tonya being interviewed and I watched all three of them.  I read interviews with the stars from I, Tonya and realized nobody really knows what the truth is about the 1994 Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan incident. Really? I remember it very well and didn't know there was any question. Then I wondered if Hollywood was just sympathizing with her because of her rough upbringing so I had to see the movie.  To make a long story short, Tonya Harding was born in Portland, Oregon into an impoverished and abusive household with her chain-smoking mother, LaVona Golden, played sensationally by A...

It's that time of year again when everyone is getting ready for the Academy Awards and we are rushing out to see the big movies of the year. Last year, I wrote about the The Revenant that was a very immersive, visceral cinematic experience that won three Oscars. This year, Hidden Figures is making a big impression on me. Bruce and I loved it. It is based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly, by the same title, about the black women who worked at NASA as "human computers". They basically calculated math for the engineers to save the engineers time so they could do more important tasks. The story is specifically about three women, Mary Jackson played by Janelle Monáe, Katherine Goble played by Taraji P. Henson, and Dorothy Vaughan played by Octavia Spencer. All three had incredible stories but the movie was mainly focused on Katherine Goble who was a mathematician protégé. Similar to women at Boeing called  Rosie the Riveters, where 47 pe rcent of the workers ...

Well, Bruce and I bit the bullet and walked up to our local movie theater and saw The Revenant.  I was not planning to see it because the previews looked so violent.  Lauren said she doesn't want to see it and my sister, Barbara, also vowed not to see it.  "Too violent" was the consensus from everyone.  Whenever a new movie starts at the Admiral Theater, Bruce wants to walk up there for a movie night.  I debated for a few days, then decided to bite the bullet and go.  After all, it had been nominated for so many awards, I was curious.  So, we walked up to the Admiral, bought our popcorn, got comfortable in our seats and it started.   Right away, violent.  I had my eyes covered, looked sideways at Bruce at his reaction.  I'm sorry to say that the previews predetermined that I would not watch violent parts. I hardly saw any of the bear scene...But after the first 45 minutes or so, I started watching it closely.  ...