A Hot Week

 It's been a hot week here at Gregoropolis. How hot, you ask?  Perhaps this will give you an idea...

We're all doing everything we can to stay cool.

Holly Belle: Open another window

Meghan: There aren't anymore.

Holly Belle: Well, we'd better telephone for an axe.*

*from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Mikey: Hot!

Holly Belle: >sigh< Yes, Mikey, we know it's hot.

Meghan: I think we need to slip into something more comfortable.

Holly Belle: An excellent idea!

Holly Belle: Oh yes, this is much better.

Mikey: I sip in sumpin more comportabel, too

Meghan: Yeah, that's nice Mikey.

Holly Belle: What did he say?

Meghan: Who knows?  I think the heat is affecting my hearing.

Mikey: I cool now!

Conner: Yeeeeeeeee!

A Bridge To Far

 

Wesley: Well, you girls are certainly dressed up today.  What's the occasion?

Alice: Our bridge club is meeting today.

Daisy: Yes, this is how ladies dress when they play bridge.

Ezra: Do you even know how to play bridge?

Jennifer: >Ha-ha< What a silly question.

Marta: Of course we do.

Marta: Okay, has anyone figured out how to play bridge yet?

Jennifer: Alice was going to Google it.  What did you learn, Alice?

Alice: Um, well, I tried to, but I couldn't actually find the Google.

I asked Luke where it was, and he said that he thought Frank ate it.

Daisy: Oh good grief.

Jennifer: Maybe we should just start with what we know, and go from there.

Marta: 'Fake it 'til you make it.'  That's what the boys always say.

Jennifer: >Snort< And they ought to know!

Marta: Okay, so we know that we need four players and a deck of cards.

Jennifer: Which we have.

Marta: And we have to be suitably dressed.

Daisy: Which we are.

Alice: And don't forget about the refreshments!

Daisy: Oh yes, refreshments are very important.

I think we've got a handle on this.

And later...

Jennifer: I don't know why we just didn't think to play Kings in the Corner to begin with.

At least it's a game we know.

Marta: Good thing Daddy Steve taught us how to play it.

It's actually the only card game he knows how to play.

Alice: Well, he is awfully old.  It's possible that's the only card gam

they had when he was a kid!

Calling For Reinforcements!

 This is Sebastian.  He is a Gotz Gregor from 1995 - the first year of the second Gotz production.  Sebastian has been here at Gregoropolis for quite a while now.

Sebastian was in a sorry state when he arrived here.  His body was extremely caved-in; he looked a bit like a bell pepper!  Part of this was due, I believe, to spending some time in a too-tight doll stand.  However, I've seen a lot of caving among those first year Gotz dolls.  I suspect that the vinyl formulation they used in the beginning was a little too soft.

Before.  Sebastian: Ouch!

I sent Sebastian off to a lady in California who specialized in fixing second-production Gotz dolls.  A lot of people don't like to work on the later Gotz dolls, and if you have ever tried to re-string one, you'll know why.  

They have a very different type of attachment for the elastic strings: snap-in plastic cups rather than the metal hooks of the older dolls.  It makes taking them apart and reassembling them a real nightmare.

Sebastian came back to me looking good as new.

After.  Looking good for now.

Sebastian and Rolf, meeting for the first time.

Unfortunately, in the intervening years, his body started to cave-in again.  It wasn't as bad, but it did make posing him more difficult and he had to wear oversized shirts to hide his 'condition'.

Caving again!

Sebastian was lucky that our dear friend Doctor Pat was willing to take him on as a patient.  This past winter he made a trip down to Florida for some extended spa treatments.  After getting him back in shape again, Pat applied a plastic-like putty that dries rock hard to the inside of his torso.  His newly reinforced body shouldn't experience any more caving problems.

A view inside.

He can now show-off his splendid physique!

Tina Louise: Oooh, abs of steel!

Sebastian: Now behave, my dear.

Springtime Bliss

Patrick: Well.  This lounging around is all well and good, 

but we really should be getting something done.

Patrick: Wasting time is illogical.  We could be writing papers, reading books, 

doing research, working in the garden...

Ravi: But it's so pleasant sitting here with this lovely spring breeze blowing through the window.

It seems like ages since we had the windows open.  Just smell the lilacs!

Patrick: It really is very nice!  I like to watch the curtains rippling in the breeze.

It reminds me of kelp.

Ravi: ...kelp?

Patrick: Yes, like that nature program we watched about the oceans.

Remember how the kelp swayed back and forth in the ocean currents?

Ravi: Oh, you're right!  That was a good program.

They should have more programs like that on TV.

Patrick: Indeed; instead of those silly shows Holly Belle watches.

Ravi: You know, it occurs to me that we're not really wasting time.

We're enjoying the moment having a good conversation.

Patrick: I just love your logical mind!