my micro-blog
Listening to an American Athletic Conference College Football Game tonight, the Memphis Tigers at the Rice Owls. Early in the game, the 25th Ranked Memphis Tigers with a (7-1) record are leading the unranked Rice Owls (4 – 4) by a score of 7 – 0.
And the adventure continues...
posted by Roscoe
Tonight's College Football game finds the Tulane Green Wave in town playing our UTSA Roadrunners at the Alamodome. Score midway through the First Quarter finds our Roadrunners leading, 10 – 6.
Go Roadrunners!
And the adventure continues.
posted by Roscoe
We remember that last Wednesday we left Dorothy sitting on Ozma's throne, welcoming the arriving dignitaries who had come to the Emerald City to celebrate Princess Ozma's birthday. There were far too many arrivals for me to list here; magical and wonderful creatures all. The one arrival who impressed me most, and impressed the other dignitaries, too, was Santa Claus. Santa, the much loved and jolly old elf, played an important role at the end of this particular book.
The final two chapters in this Book 5, The Road to Oz, are: The Grand Banquet, and The Birthday Celebration. As the guests arrived, were welcomed, and left their birthday presents for Ozma at a large table, servants escorted them to rooms in the Palace that had been prepared for them so they could freshen up from their travels and prepare for the Grand Banquet.
The Grand Banquet was truly a wondrous feast. All kinds of exotic foods were enjoyed by all the attendees. Even those who, by their nature didn't eat, (the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, etc.) were seated at a table of their own, and joined in the general merriment of the evening.
The Birthday Celebration began the next day with a parade, complete with marching bands, leading out from the palace to adjoining green fields where a huge pavilion had been built for the Royalty and honored guests. An elevated stage had been set up in front of the pavilion so that everyone could see the acts performed for their entertainment. And there were many amazing acts performed.
The Wizard of Oz was the last to perform. He had assembled a big soap bubble machine with tanks of soapy water and a big fan underneath the stage, and a pipe that exited on the stage level. He had added a special glue to the soap mixture that would harden when exposed to the air so the big bubbles would rise high into the air and remain intact, rather than “pop” right away as ordinary soap bubbles do.
Santa said he was going to float away in one of those big bubbles to his home, so he could see the beautiful countryside in the daylight, as he usually traveled at night with his reindeer. And Santa offered to use his magic to send any of the guests back to their homes in one of the Wizard's big bubbles if they so desired. Because, of course, Santa knows where everyone lives. Dorothy and Ozma convinced Button-Bright, the little boy who couldn't remember his real name or where he lived, to let Santa fly him home. Santa knew, and he was sure his mother and father would be delighted to have him back home.
Santa even promised Polychrome that he'd see her father, the Rainbow, as he was flying through the sky, and he'd tell him his daughter was waiting for him in the land of Oz. Polychrome had just explained Santa's promise to Dorothy and Ozma when a sudden radiance filled the air, and while the people looked on in wonder the end of a gorgeous rainbow slowly settled down upon the platform.
With a glad cry, the Rainbow's Daughter sprang from her seat and danced along the curve of the bow, mounting gradually upward, while the folds of her gauzy gown whirled and floated around her like a cloud and blended with the colors of the rainbow itself.
“Good-bye Ozma! Good-bye Dorothy!” cried a voice they knew belonged to Polychrome; but now the little maiden's form had melted wholly into the rainbow, and their eyes could no longer see her.
Suddenly, the end of the rainbow lifted and its colors slowly faded like mist before a breeze...
The entertainment being ended, everyone left the pavilion and formed a gay procession back to the Emerald City. Dorothy and Ozma had a nice quiet dinner together and a pleasant visit with the Scarecrow, Tik-tok, and the yellow hen. It was decided that Ozma would use the magic belt and transfer Dorothy and Toto back to her bed in the Kansas farmhouse while they slept.
Quite content to have had so pleasant an adventure, and a little tired by all the day's busy scenes, Dorothy clasped Toto in her arms and lay down upon the pretty white bed in her room in Ozma's royal palace.
Presently she was sound asleep.
And the adventure continues.
posted by Roscoe
That's a phrase I've had different eye doctors use when reviewing my eye exams for a few years now. As in, “You know, Mr. Ellis, I can see a bit of macular degeneration going on there.”
I've just shrugged it off before. I mean I know I'm an old guy and I've got old eyeballs; there's no gettin' around that fact of nature. Today I'm treating that phrase more seriously.
After running lots of tests and taking lots of pictures earlier this afternoon, my eye doc told me that a little blood vessel behind my right retina is leaking. And that's why I can barely see out out of my right eye.
He made an appointment with a retina specialist for me, and told me the retina doc will examine me and will most likely need to inject something into that eye to stop the bleeding. Then we'll see what damage that bleeding has done, scarring, etc. and decide whatever other treatment might be in order.
The earliest the retina doc can see me is Thursday of next week.
And the adventure continues
posted by Roscoe
Listening now to the IU Hoosiers Pregame Show ahead of the IU Men's Basketball Preseason Game this afternoon vs the Baylor Bears.
The adventure does continue.
posted by Roscoe
Finished work on the day's pending correspondence chess games in time to tune in the 1st of my college football games of the day: a Big 10 Conference Game, UCLA Bruins at Indiana Hoosiers.
GO HOOSIERS!
and the adventure continues.
posted by Roscoe
My Friday night College Football finds the radio tuned to an American Conference Game. The University of North Texas Mean Green is playing the UNC Charlotte 49ers in North Carolina.
Early in the 1st Quarter the Mean Green leads 7 – 0.
and the adventure continues.
posted by Roscoe
Today we begin looking at Book 5, The Road to Oz.. We remember from last Wednesday that Princess Ozma used her magic belt to return Dorothy to the farm in Kansas so she could visit her Aunt and Uncle. As Book 5 opens we find Dorothy at the farm in Kansas being asked by a shaggy man, “Please, Miss, can you tell me the road to Butterfield?”
Dorothy noticed that he and his clothes were certainly shaggy, but he had a pleasant twinkle in his eye. “Oh, yes,” she replied, “I can tell you. But it isn't this road at all.”
As Dorothy begins giving him directions, it becomes clear that her directions are confusing him. And she decides that it will be easier just to take him to the right road. So she runs into the farm house to get her sunbonnet. She returns with her little dog Toto and the three of them start walking down the road.
Along the way they find a little boy sitting under a tree by the side of the road. He is all by himself and busy digging a hole in the ground with a small board. He tells them his name is Button, Button – Bright. He doesn't know his real name, he doesn't know who or where his parents are or where he lives. Since it is starting to rain, Dorothy suggests he go with her and the shaggy man to find some place dry to wait for the rain to pass.
They soon encounter some civilized fox-people who give them shelter. Dorothy realizes that they certainly aren't in Kansas anymore, and must have wandered into a fairy-land of some kind. Dorothy is equally surprised that the fox-king knows who she is. When she is introducing Button-Bright, and the shaggy man, and herself to the fox-king, he smiles and says.” Oh yes, you're Dorothy, the friend of Princess Ozma. Everyone knows who you are!”
The next morning, the rain having passed, Dorothy and Toto, the shaggy man, and Button-Bright are out on the road again. Realizing they're not in Kansas, they hope to find someone who can help them find the road to Oz. At a bend of the road they find a beautiful little girl, humming a happy song and dancing gaily in a multi-colored gossamer gown.
The little girl tells them her name is Polychrome, and her father is the Rainbow. She slid off the end of a rainbow that touched down nearby then it disappeared before she could climb back on. She would dearly love to find her father, but she doesn't know where in the world he is now. When Dorothy explains they're on their way to Oz and she's sure Princess Ozma can help the little girl find her father, Polychrome is happy to join their company.
The four travelers: Dorothy with little Toto, shaggy man, Button-Bright, and Polychrome stay together through many strange, sometimes scary adventures. Eventually they find their way to the land of Oz where Dorothy is reunited with old friends and learns that Ozma has named her, Dorothy, as a Princess of Oz. While Princess Ozma rules as Queen from her Palace in the Emerald City, Dorothy is now royalty, too. Dorothy also learns that they have arrived in time to celebrate Ozma's birthday, which will be a grand affair with invitees from across fairy land attending.
I am not yet finished with Book 5. But as we leave, Ozma is busy preparing for the Grand Banquet in another part of the palace, and Princess Dorothy is seated on Ozma's throne, officially greeting the important arrivals who have come for the birthday celebration.
and the adventure continues.
posted by Roscoe
Entertainment before bedtime this Tuesday night in the Roscoe-verse will be the live radio broadcast of a college football game. I'm tuned into the Countdown to Kickoff Show now on the Kennesaw St. Owls Radio Network ahead of their Conference USA Football Game tonight vs the FIU Golden Panthers.
And the adventure continues.
posted by Roscoe
I had been considering pulling one of my favorite Christian meditation books, Light of the World, off the shelf when Advent Season begins, and using its meditations to replace those I've been using from the excellent Benedictus Magazine. My monthly subscription to Benedictus will be expiring at the end of November, so that seemed the perfect time to make the switch.
With the book off the shelf and in front of me this afternoon I thought, “What the heck, Why wait?” So, as time permits, I'll be using meditations from both the Light of the World book and from Benedictus Magazine in my daily prayer regimen.
And the adventure continues.
posted by Roscoe