It Finally Feels like Autumn

This past Monday not only brought us rain, but also, finally, the feel of Autumn. At least for me. The dry, colorful leaves scooting across the sidewalk and streets. The crisp, cool air. Brrr.

I love Autumn.

"Catch Me if You Can"

Catch Me if You Can, a Tony nominated Broadway musical, is now playing for the next two weekends at The Granada Theater in Downtown Hollister. It's presented by the San Benito Stage Company.

A very talented all-teen cast tells the story of real-life Frank Abagnale, Jr. in words, song, and dance. A con artist and check forger, Abagnale manages to stay two steps ahead of the FBI while impersonating a teacher, pilot, lawyer, or pediatrician. If the title and story sound familiar, then you probably saw the movie Catch Me if You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, upon which the musical is based. So, you also know that Abagnale became an FBI instructor and consultant, helping the law enforcement agency investigate fraud and scam crimes.

To learn more about the play, check out this article, "Preview: Catch Me if You Can: The Musical", written by Lois Locci at Benitolink.

Catch Me if You Can performances are:

Friday, November 6, and Saturday, November 7, at 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, November 8, at 2:00 p.m.

Friday, November 13, and Saturday, November 14, at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are available at the door, as well as at Postal Graphics and San Benito Bene. Admission for adults is $15, and $12 for children, students, and senior citizens.                            

Johnnie's Girl

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a new shop in Downtown Hollister. It's called Johnnie's Girl! This cute boutique of nifty, fun handcrafted items is located at 535 San Benito Street, the once-upon-a-time location of Maddux Jewelry.

Johnnie's Girl is run by daughter-mother team, Sarah and Patty, whom some of you may already know. They've sold their gorgeous flower plates at local crafts fairs, through The Grove and San Juan Bakery, and at their place on Holliday Street.

Johnnie's Girl will have its grand opening on November 11, 2015. But, their doors are currently open for business. If I remember correctly, from Thursday through Saturday. For more details, visit its Facebook page.

Best of luck to you, Sarah and Patty!

An Umbrella Day!

It has been raining steadily since very early this morning. What a welcome surprise, huh? 

Weather reports say that showers will continue through the day and possibly into the evening. We may also get some thunderstorm, too. 

Weather reports show clear days for the rest of the week. So, enjoy the rainy day.

Man from Reno

Yesterday, Hollister got a treat with a big-screen showing of Man from Reno, a neo-noir, cross-cultural, mystery movie, of which some of the scenes were set in Hollister, San Juan Bautista, and other parts of San Benito County.  Whoo-hoo!

The award-winning Man from Reno came out in 2014. It was co-written and directed by Dave Boyle who was at the showing and did a Q&A after the movie. An extra treat for us, movie-goers.

The movie opens with Sheriff Paul Del Moral of San Marco County (think San Benito County) coming across an abandoned car on a dark and very foggy night. After a few minutes of investigating, he gets back into his car, drives several feet, and bang! A running man collides into his car.  This unknown Japanese man is taken to the hospital (set in Hazel Hawkins Hospital), but, after recouping, walks away without anyone noticing. And, so begins the mystery.

Meanwhile, 100 miles to the north, popular mystery author Aki Akahora has arrived in San Francisco. She has run away on a whim, no longer able to take all the adoration from fans in her home country of Japan. She's depressed and looks to be suicidal, but she breaks out of her funk when she meets a man who makes her feel like living again. He quickly moves into her hotel room, then, just as quickly, disappears leaving his suitcase behind. And, so begins another mystery.

The movie moves forward between the two suspenseful stories. The only thing I predicted correctly was that the two tales would eventually intertwine. Everything else about the plot—surprise!

Another enjoyable aspect of Man from Reno for me was recognizing settings in Hollister, San Juan Bautista, San Francisco, and Sausalito. As you read previously, the hospital scenes in the fictitious San Marco County were set inside Hazel Hawkins Hospital. I'll only tell you about one other setting. The sheriff's office was actually the Red Cross office on Fifth Street.

Missed Man from Reno yesterday or want to see it again? The movie is now available at Netflix, Amazon, Google Play, DIRECTV, and other online sites. Want to learn more about the movie, check the Man from Reno website.