June 4, 2026: Cut The Crap Hair Lab at 2719 Durand Ave. in Racine, Wisconsin.
Another Week: Number 180
The weather has been nice enough. I did a little backyard watering on Sunday and Wednesday, and our air quality turned an unhealthy orange on Thursday, but we got an inch of rain on Friday that set things right.
The backyard birds include a bunch of youngsters patrolling around and enjoying my birdbath. On Tuesday, I saw a neighbor’s missing cat sipping from that same bath, but it ran away when the guy came to try and lure it. On Wednesday, a couple of Turkey Vultures rode air currents high above me while I read in my lounge chair.
Another of my neighbors had a brief medical episode Wednesday requiring the Rescue Squad. I got a haircut on Tuesday — and on Friday, a terminal diagnosis on my current car.
Donald Trump’s ridiculous war with Iran remained so stalled that even the news media began to forget about it. The Indiana Fever split a pair of games. The Chicago Cubs lost four — including an 18-3 laugher to the Giants — and won two.
On Saturday, I phoned my mom to explain that “a Polish girl,” Maja Chwalińska, had made it all the way from the qualifying rounds to the French Open final, and that people were starting to call the event “Poland Garros” in recognition of her rise following that of Iga Świątek. But alas, Chwalińska lost to Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-2.
My biggest adventure was preparing food for an expected 24 people. I spent all day Saturday cooking for my mom’s 91st birthday party at her apartment complex the following afternoon.
My sister Karen requested side dishes to accompany grilled bratwurst and chicken, so I chose Old Fashioned Kidney Bean Salad and Mediterranean Potato Salad. For extra credit — and to honor Amy — I pressure-cooked the beans the Lorna Sass way. This meant three batches, taking 90 minutes apiece. Then I cooked six pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, and chopped and stirred until well after dark.
Both recipes turned out great. The potato salad called for either fresh mint or dill. I used mint, but would opt for the dill instead if there’s ever a next time.
I walked 9.28 miles this week — three of them in my flip-flops with the neoprene-lined straps which are supposed to prevent chafing, but instead cause it. Oh, bruddah!
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Star Wars (1977)
On Sunday evening at my mom’s, we watched a movie that had come up several times recently as one she’d never seen: Star Wars, a 1977 film by George Lucas. As it unfolded, Mom suspected that maybe she had seen it, but she couldn’t be sure. We both laughed recalling that extremely chaotic time in our lives.
Like its Millennium Falcon starship, the movie shows signs of wear, but still hold up well enough. Mom was mostly interested in Carrie Fisher, and she began to nod off a bit during the extended TIE fighter chase scene.
But now she’s seen it for sure and that box is checked.
Roofman (2025)
Roofman, currently streaming on Prime, is rated 87 on the Tomatometer and it looked like a slice of semi-heartwarming wackiness, but it was disappointing.
Channing Tatum stars in this true story as Jeffrey Manchester, a divorced U.S. Army veteran in North Carolina who decided to supplement what he can provide for his kids by robbing McDonald’s restaurants via their vulnerable roofs.
This eventually lands him in prison — but he escapes and takes refuge inside a Toys “R” Us store, which is where single mom Kirsten Dunst works.
There are a lot of promising pieces here — but the movie is ultimately frustrating because, while Tatum’s character seems like a fairly decent guy, there’s no good explanation for his criminal streak, and so no way to find redemption.
The two hours and six minutes would be better spent on something else.
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