I know I've featured a lot of cactus lately, but man, the

wind around here has been brutal. It just blows this cactus

all to heck. It breaks up and rolls down the
rocks just to land in a big pile.



The wind pretty much snaps the big cactus in half.
I will salvage some of this and replant it either up
the hills or put some in pots or both. Even
though it is plentiful, to me it is just
too beautiful to go to waste.

Awwwwwwwww... A baby tumbleweed.

Week two of Borden Cinema's February Month of Musicals

wraps up after 4 more great shows! First up was Oliver!. I hadn't

seen this one before. I gave it 8 out of 10 Pocket Watches if not

just for the Consider Yourself sequence alone. Jack Wild, great.

Next up was Moulin Rouge. I had seen this movie once when

it first came out. It was the first movie I had ever seen on DVD.

I watched it at a friends house and she had a big screen (for the
time) and a stereo setup. For me it was like being at the theater.
I fell a bit in love with Ewan McGregor's character, Christian. The

action in this movie never stops and is quite insane. I rated it

8 out of 10 Glasses of Absinthe.

And now, The Phantom of the Opera (2004). I have never seen this movie

and have wanted to for years and years. I just never felt the time

was right, until The Month of Musicals. When this movie started

I could not believe my eyes. The Phantom was played by Gerard Butler!

Really?? I LOVE Gerard Butler. And he did not let me down. And also

a younger Patrick Wilson is in it. He is always good. The Music of
the Night. Yum. I rated Phantom 9 out of 10 Chandeliers.

And finally, as this week ended on a Friday the 13th, literally, we took a

break from musicals and as our tradition demands, watched a Friday the

13th movie. This time we watched Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes

Manhattan. Always a great time. I rate this movie 8 out of 10 Barrels of

Toxic Waste.

Well, The Month of Musicals is reminding me of one thing to be certain:

These movies are LONG. Two and a half to three hours long. That's a

LOT of musical!

Robert Duvall.

One of the best cowboys ever.

1931 - 2026

Rest In Peace.

Well, I did something that I don't do too often

these days (for more than one reason). I bought a

figure. I spotted Ghost Face at Walmart and thought

he was a pretty fun little item. It says on
the front of the package that he is from

FlyGuys (by CULTUREFLY).

SCREAM 7 (SEVEN! Holy cow!) comes out this month so
I reckon this is why they put him out there. Anyway, he’s
small, and at only nine dollars and change, I went for it.
There are several versions with the same figure, but
different backgrounds. I think this hallway one
is the least interesting,  but I’m happy
to have him.

Just in case you would like to see what the other

backgrounds look like. I am partial to the
movie theater background.

~ Happy Friday the 13th, February 2026 ~

And in honor of the 13th, we took a slight detour

from the February 2026 Month of Musicals at
Borden Cinema to carry on the tradition of viewing
a Friday the 13th film. Tonight was part VIII:
Jason Takes Manhattan. Above is Jason onscreen
taking the subway in an effort to catch up to the
young folks he is attempting to.... dispatch.

Did he do it? I aint'a talkin!
It was a great night at the cinema!

I am posting a picture of my Bianchi reversable gun belt here

because I really like it. I bought this gun belt during a big gun show

at the L.A. County Fairgrounds at least 35 years ago, maybe more.

This belt will hold your pants up, but it will also support any full

size holster and pistol that you put on it. This belt is so sturdy that

it will practically hold my pants up without me in them.
I like the decorative stitching. Simple
and traditional.

And reversible meaning one side is black, the other is tan. Tan

is for range day and black is for body art conventions.
Belt, thy middle name is Versatile.

This belt was VERY stiff and needed a LOT of breaking in when I first

bought it. I remember telling the vendor that putting on my pants was

about to become a major event.

I cannot even really tell what model this is anymore. But I am
pretty sure that Bianchi no longer produces it. Similar belts, yes.
This one? I don't think they do. Thirty-five or more years
later, this belt still rocks.

Some folks don't like Bianchi products.
I always did and I still do.

The February 2026 Month of Musicals at Borden Cinema

starts off strong! I can usually watch four movies a week

and this first week was a winner!

The first movie of the month was Guys and Dolls. Great

songs and c'mon, Frank Sinatra! I rated this movie 9 out

of 10 Guys Reaching for Stars in the Sky.

Next up? Singin' in the Rain. Holy cow the dance moves

are incredible. Donald O'Conner: Not AI folks. I rated this

show 10 out of 10 Good Mornin's.

And now, West Side Story. I laughed, I cried and then I

cried some more. The way they communicate interactions

of all kinds through dance, just AMAZING. It is hard to

take your eyes off of Russ Tamblyn while he is doing his

thing. I rated this movie 10 out of 10 Switchblades, easily.

And finishing up this round of films is Bye Bye Birdie.

Fun movie. Conrad Birdie is just too cool for school.

I was a little surprised and disappointed to hear of the

behind the scenes turmoil between some cast members.

But hey, this is a fun watch. A great scene was filmed

at Courthouse Square, Universal Studios. And the main family

in the story, the McAfees live in the Lethal Weapon House!

Yikes! I rated this movie 7.5 out of 10 Gold Lamé Jumpsuits.

Three more weeks of The Month of Musicals left to go!

P.S. This coming Friday falls on the 13th…
so just for one night, the Month of Musicals
steps aside for Jason Voorhees.

!! Happy National Pizza Day 2026 !!

Now GO out and OINK out!

This box is from a restaurant that was on Wilshire Blvd. in

West Los Angeles. We ate there quite often. La Barbera's

served really great Italian food. I loved the pizza. Many loved

their lasagna which when taken-out for a party or such came

in one of these boxes. I ran across this box in our
garage. This box does not have lasagna in it.
It apparently contains stuff to burn.

This is La Barbera's on Wilshire Blvd.
in West Los Angeles.

This is where La Barbera's used to be on Wilshire Blvd.
in West Los Angeles. They closed up shop sometime
in the mid-to-late 1980s, and the location is
now occupied by a strip mall.

Just a slice. The box brought
back memories.

TRANSMISSION #13

February 2026 is the Month of Musicals at Borden Cinema!
All Musicals! All Month! From Guys and Dolls to West Side Story!

The Sound of Music to Singin' in the Rain!
All Musicals! All Month!

This has been a few years in the making,
 and it’s finally happening.

A supply of Atonomyte, just in
case we break out in dystopia.

This is the Human Claw Machine at the mall. I am not

sure if it is just for kids or if adults can participate as well.

The thing was not operating when I was there.

It looks like a person (you) lays in this harness and the

Claw Machine operator (the person who works there) moves

the person (you) up and down and back and forth and the

person in the harness (you) grabs for whatever it is they (you)

can for whatever it is that they (the company) has placed

under the tarp (that you can see if the first picture).

And lest you think anarchy reigns at

the Human Claw Machine, think again.
There are rules.

I bought this cross at Hobby Lobby during my Annual

Birthday Extravaganza (which has been over for a couple

of days now). Those days off were nice. I think I might

take a few days off in June as well. That would be good.

Happy National Popcorn Day 2026!

It seems that they’re not really a thing anymore, but

I enjoy wearing silicone wristbands. I found these
Saint Patrick’s Day wristbands at Walmart,
which is unusual lately, so I grabbed one
before they all disappeared.

Saving them for March of course.

This succulent bloom doesn't look like it is

from around here. Here... meaning Earth.

Happy International Hot and Spicy Food Day!

The timing is fortuitous as for my Birthday Extravaganza

I just bought one of my favorite things: jalapeño stuffed

green olives from World Market. These are delicious! But

I only buy them once every few years as they
 are kind of expensive.

On Tuesday, January 7, 2020, I bought the same brand

olives for my birthday. They cost $4.99 for 11.2 ounces.

This year, they cost $7.69 for just 9.52 ounces.

So yeah, a special treat. If you like green olives and

jalapeños, and you’ve got a little spare dinero in your

pocket, it’s a no-brainer!

And yep, here are my boys all together.

The newest guy is on the far right. I have had the one on the
far left for two years, the one next to him for three years and
the tallest one for one year. I love seeing them when

I come home at night.

Continuing on with what now seems to be the oinking-out
theme of my 2025 Birthday Extravaganza, I had my yearly
chocolate shake at Jack in the Box. That was worth waiting for
I will tell you what. But, they didn't put a cherry on top this time

around. I kind of missed that. It brings in a touch of color and,

probably, a psychological boost to the whole deal.

But in the end I managed to put on my
big girl pants and soldier on through!

For my 2026 Birthday Extravaganza I did go

to Surf City to enjoy a banana/banana

smoothie. SO good.

And I did buy a Wetzel's Pretzel with pepperoni

and jalapeno to take home for a late night snack.

Also, SO good.

And I did a few days ago buy this Texas cast iron(?)

wall art (that was surprisingly inexpensive) at Hobby

Lobby that I did hang up on my wall.

The 2026 Birthday Extravaganza
adventures continue...

Thrift store movie haul!

And I am ready.

I bought cheese popcorn.

For my 2026 Birthday Extravaganza, I did what I do

every year and made the long drive over to FYE to see

what kind of great movies I could find. They are a little

pricey, but I can usually find a deal or two. This was

FYE in January 2021.

What the?! Oh man. C'mon you guys. This is FYE today
in January of 2026. Closed. Gone. First REI and now
FYE? I'm going to go get a Wetzel's Pretzel with
jalapeno and pepperoni and a banana/banana

smoothie at Surf City. That will be good.

I'm really gonna miss FYE, even if it WAS only
a once a year visit. No movies today.

And there he is in his new home. My Birthday Cactus

for 2026. Trichocereus randiflorus, also known as the

Torch Cactus. Very handsome. When the light is right
I will take a picture of him with all of his new pals.

~ The Second Annual Pizza and a Movie Night ~

(Postponed from October 2025 due to dental issues.)

Tonight will be a double feature!

First up is The Creature Walks Among Us (1956), which is fantastic
if for nothing else other than the fact that they put the Creature
in a shirt and pants! Good ol' Dr. William Barton (far left)
would have The Creature in a suit and tie working retail
if he could. That seems like his evil plan. His wheels are loose.
It's a riot.

In the above Borden Cinema screenshot The Creature

is not walking among them, but The Creature DID walk among

the guy laying on the bed and now he is sporting several large
 gashes on his face which he is showing off to those fellers
standing around.

This is the second and I think final Creature from the Black
Lagoon sequel and is well worth a watch.

During the intermission I prepared a DIGIORNO Thin Crust Pepperoni

Pizza and a loaf of Signature Select garlic bread. I had Red Baron pizza

for the first Pizza and a Movie Night and I am thinkin' that DIGIORNO

kicked it's butt. The Signature Select garlic bread was great. I rated it

7.5 out of 10 garlic cloves.

Now it is time to sit back, enjoy the pizza,

the bread and the second feature.

The second feature of the night was The Phantom from
10,000 Leagues (1955). That there above in the Borden Cinema
screenshot is The Phantom. No spoilers here as they show this
guy in the first two minutes of the movie. I expected this to be
a pretty lousy old drive-in B movie and that's okay because that
is what the night is all about. And it was for the most part
that, but it was also REALLY enjoyable. I never
looked at my watch. Color me surprised. I will
actually watch this again someday.

And I had to put this guy here. This is Kent Taylor (1906-1987).
He plays Dr. Ted Stevens. This man is so awesome and
handsome and charming and .... smoooooooth.
I LOVE this guy. He alone makes the movie
worth watching.

The Phantom ended just before 12 AM and
that concluded my Second Annual Pizza and a Movie Night.

Another huge success. The third will hopefully take place in
October. I am planning it already!

Before.

After.
For my Birthday Extravaganza I made the semi-annual
long drive to REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) to

look around and see if they had any fun stuff.

What's this? They closed up shop. Gonesville. Sign in
the window says they've moved. Won't be open for

another month.

I will try again next year.

Well, this SEEMS to be a week of me eating... a LOT. Probably

because... I AM. During my Birthday Extravaganza I am giving

myself permission to oink out, so today I ate lunch at a
restaurant that I have been wanting to try for years.

It is one of those little hole in the wall places with a name
that ends in "berto's". There are quite a few of them.
I chose the one with the view.

And any little place that looks like this
is the place to be if'n ya ask me.

And this is why I am here. This is the stuff that dreams are made

of. A cheese enchilada, one beef taco with rice and beans, served with

two huge containers of hot sauce that is HOT! Use at much as you want!

I will come back here again someday to be certain.

OINK!

I finally hung the second "spur" on my wall.

I could only do one at a time due to stuff.

Plus, for my Birthday Extravaganza I had a
bacon burger (tasted way better than it looks)...

...and fries over at Tom's.