Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Milton and John


Well, it's starting to look like Milton will strike to the south of Tampa, instead of head-on, which is perhaps slightly better news. It's still a big scary storm and no doubt Tampa will be affected, but it looks like Sarasota may take the brunt of it. Remember how I wrote about that condo where my family stayed on our beach vacations, and how it survived Helene? Milton is aiming straight for it.

I lived in Sarasota and Venice for six years, so my thoughts are with all my friends there. In 1999 I bought a condo there that was surrounded on three sides by water, in a relatively low-lying area, and although I loved it, let me just say I am very glad I sold it the following year when I moved up north.

I also wonder how Dave's parents' mobile home, in a park on Sarasota Bay, will fare. Fortunately they're up in Michigan at the moment so they are not personally in danger, but their laundry room flooded during Helene so they've already had storm damage.

Coincidentally, I'm supposed to have dinner tonight with friends who are visiting London from Tampa -- someone who also worked in Sarasota with me. I bet they're happy not to be home, but we'll no doubt have one eye on the news the whole night.


Thanks for all your concern about Dave's eye problem, which I mentioned in yesterday's post. The specialist he saw yesterday doesn't want to do anything immediately. He told Dave to wait four weeks and see if the problem resolves itself, which is apparently a possibility. I pointed out that there's still the underlying question of the abnormal blood vessels, but I guess even those may heal. It sounds to me like they're convinced this is some kind of injury, but I SWEAR I am not punching Dave in the face in the middle of the night. (You'd be surprised how many people have suggested that I am!)


Last night Dave and I went to a movie premiere where I actually got to sit in the VIP section AND I have my name in the film credits! I can't think of any other time I've been mentioned in the credits of a movie. (Can I have an IMDB page now?)

The movie is called "The Writing's on the Wall," a documentary about a public art project that arose in West Hampstead following the deaths of local community fixtures John and his dog Sugar. You may remember that some murals went up including portraits of John and Sugar, and those murals -- meant to raise awareness about homelessness -- wound up being quite controversial and were eventually painted over after a few months. The film tells the backstory of the project and the evolution of the controversy, and the producers used some of my photos of John in the film, which is why I got credit. It was very interesting and it was cool to have been involved, even tangentially. It made me feel part of the cultural fabric of my community and of London.

Dave went too, but he had to sit behind me, not being a VIP himself. Ha!

Anyway, I have no idea what the availability of this movie will be but if I ever hear that it's online for public viewing I'll let you know!

(Photos: Leaves found on my walk to work yesterday morning.)

44 comments:

  1. How very cool to be a part of that documentary. How funny that Dave had to sit behind you. I hope the eye ends up healing itself and glad nothing has to be done for now. Does Maybe Dave did it to himself in his sleep. That’s something I do.

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    1. He's more likely to have done it in his sleep than me! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

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  2. Congratulations on your breakthrough into the film industry! Soon you will be able to give The Fuhrer the middle finger as you swan off to Hollywood... or Elstree!

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  3. Rather a lot of worries at present. Hope things turn out better than expected.

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    1. Thanks. There is a lot going on all of a sudden!

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  4. Was Sarasota mentioned in a well known Linda Ronstadt song? Maybe it was Saratosa? Good luck to the people there and I hope Dave's doctor's suggestion to wait will see the problem disappear.

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    1. There's Sarasota, in Florida, and Saratoga, in New York. Not sure which might have been in a Ronstadt song!

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  5. That hurricane is going to go down in the record books. I am so glad that I don't live in Florida as I would hate always having to deal with the possibility of a hurricane. Wow, you are now a celebrity!

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    1. As it turns out (I'm writing after the storm) it was a fairly garden-variety hurricane.

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  6. Very cool about the documentary, but sad that Dave was relegated to riff-raff while you were VIP! 😁

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    1. I know! They should have reserved a third VIP row and let us bring a guest.

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  7. I love that you were part of the film! I can say I knew him when...

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    1. Ha! Once again it shows the magic of the internet, and how our connectivity leads to these opportunities.

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  8. My grandmother's youngest cousin lives on St. Petersburg across from Tampa bay and got 2 feet of water in their house from Helene. I'm guessing he is happy to see the more southernly track of Milton. I have another friend that lives on the north side of Tampa that is also happy with the track.

    I have only experienced a hurricane once when it passed by the Philippines maybe 100 miles off shore and it was enough of an experience I hope never to repeat it.

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    1. Yeah, even a fairly distant hurricane produces a lot of bad weather.

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  9. How cool, Steve! I've never been a VIP before and any hopes I may have ever had in that direction are fading fast. Sigh.
    Okay. Thanks for letting us know about Dave's eye situation. "Wait and see" is particularly apt here.
    I don't think I knew you owned a condo in Sarasota. They just got slammed bad by Helene, didn't they? St. Armand's Key too? I used to love Sarasota. Such a pretty, quirky place.

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    1. My condo was inland so I doubt it would have been affected by Helene's storm surge, but a lot of rainfall could easily flood the area. My unit was on the second floor but it had skylights which always seem vulnerable in a storm.

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  10. Congrats on the movie using your pics, Steve. That's terrific!
    Hope Dave's eye clears up on its own.

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    1. Thank you! Yeah, I hope the eye resolves itself too.

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  11. Your photos are always well composed. Being acknowledged is appreciated. VIP movie viewing sounds pretty elite, but they should have given Dave a seat too.
    The ocean surge coming to FL is terrifying. I am hearing people living close to the sea have evacuated. Heaven knows what they will return to after the storm passes.

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    1. I'm surprised they didn't give Dave a seat as well, but I guess they wanted to break even on the screening. We had to buy his ticket. At least he got to sit right behind me.

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  12. wow! your photos used! your name in lights (well sort of)! you're a celebrity!
    I'm all for waiting to see if problems resolve themselves before intervention.

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    1. Ha! I guess being in credits is pretty much like being in lights! LOL

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  13. How nice that your photos were used in the movie and that you were given credit for it. Glad to hear that Dave's eye problem isn't serious. I hope the doc is right and it fixes itself. Those fall leaves are looking good.

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    1. Well, we're still waiting to see what happens with the eye. It COULD be serious. But hopefully not.

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  14. Poor Dave. First the issue with his eye and then having to sit in the non-VIP section, behind you!
    My friend in Tampa is planning to drive 10 miles north to her son's condo. Hers is in a very old part of the city where she figured it would have a greater chance of storm drain backup and power grid problems.
    I enjoyed all your leaves. Things are barely beginning to turn here.

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    1. It's always better to huddle down with family during scary events like this! I don't blame her!

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  15. I can't believe how bad these storms are. Well, I can, but it's incredibly horrific. We've recently heard from friends near Ashville, things are bad there. Hope Dave's parents' mobile home survives Milton. And here's hoping the eye badness goes away.

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    1. The destruction in North Carolina is still unbelievable to me. I'd never have imagined that was even possible.

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  16. Dave had to sit BEHIND you? No bueno, my friend. No bueno. You'll have to make that one up to him!

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  17. Congratulations on your recognition! I would think that the VIPs would get to bring a plus one though. I'm unfamiliar with hurricanes except that I would never want to be in one. I would be devastated to have my home destroyed on top of everything else.

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    1. Yeah, I don't know why we couldn't have plus-one seats, except as I said above they were probably trying to sell more tickets.

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  18. Enjoy your 15 minutes of fame. VIP status does not last forever. Think about that the next time you get the urge to take a swing at Dave.

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  19. Well, congrats on being in the credits of what sounds like a really cool documentary!

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    1. It is very cool and it was really interesting. I hope it streams somewhere but I don't know that the interest would be very widespread outside of London.

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  20. Oooh! Your name in lights (almost) Very pretty autumn leaves you have there. Very glad Dave's eye problem will solve itself. I got out my huge atlas and looked up Sarasota and Venice. I like the name Sarasota but I'm glad I don't live there.

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    1. Sarasota is a beautiful town, for what it's worth -- in good weather, anyway!

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  21. I just realized I'm missing your posts. Not showing up on my feed. I tracked this down by a search. Now I wonder if you've winnowed out the non VIP readers...

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    1. I haven't winnowed anyone! Maybe it's just Blogger acting up? I don't mess with my subscribers at all.

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