Nessage 460

The heat wave has broken, so I should be able to run my computer all day today. Yesterday midday I watched a DVD of the movie Constantine. It had a good cast, but it was based on a comic book character, so the plot was mostly absurd and incomprehensible. I am not into comic book characters, especially ones that were invented long after I last read a comic book, so I give it 2.3 stars.

I ate dinner with Vanessa and the kids last night. Julian was working late again, but he came in after we had eaten while Beech and I were playing Chess and then checkers. I was trying to teach Beech a little about the games so I did not let him win. Today is his first day in kindergarten, but he has the cold that Annie just got over, so I hope he will not have to miss his first day at school.

Last night I watched Masterpiece Mystery on PBS. I am so glad the extended August pledge drive is over so the regular programming is available again.

Message 459

Yesterday Joshua brought in Mexican food so we could have lunch together . We tried to watch the per-season Raiders game, but it was not on TV. The Giants were not on TV either, so we had to end up watching the game between the Dodgers and the Reds. Joshua had to leave before the game was over, so I still do not know who won. I will be glad when the NFL regular season starts. After Joshua left I turned the TV off and read some more of the history of NSA. Ethan and his family gave it to me at Sandbridge for my birthday. It is very good and interesting reading.

I went to my couples club pot luck dinner last night. It was nice to see the people again. I brought the ice cream to put on the pies that Ginny Wilson made, one rubarb and one peach. When we went home Ginny insisted the I take home the two pieces of leftover pie as well as the little bit of ice cream that was left over. I did not watch a movie yesterday. Again today I will turn off my computer early to try to keep my condo cool as our heat wave continues.

Message 458

Yesterday I read this week's Science. After the Friday night PBS shows, I watched a DVD of the movie Underworld. It is an imitation of The Matrix but instead of computers against people, it is vampires against werewolves, with people caught in the middle. It has a good cast with Kate Beckinsale as the protagonist and Bill Nighy as the primary villain. I give it 2.7 stars.

I am sending this message out early so I can turn off my computer to guard against its burning itself out in the heatwave that started yesterday and is supposed to end tonight.

Message 457

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Vanessa. She had a neighbor kid babysitting the kids. It is the first time we have been without kids, so Vanessa was able to actually enjoy eating her food instead of having to chase Annie around. Yesterday I took Beech to his Kung Fu class, and then to Round Table for pizza.

Last night I watched a DVD of Mr. Brooks, in which Kevin Costner play a serial killer. I give it three stars.

Message 456

Yesterday I had a quiet day at home. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Juno. I had seen it before in the theater but I thought it was worth watching again. I liked it even more this second time. I am very impressed with Ellen Page, and I enjoyed the special features, including the commentary by the director and the writer. I give it five stars.

Message 455

Yesterday I had lunch with Vanessa and the kids at Ikea. In the evening Joshua came over and brought in meals from Boston Market, which is near his house. I had the meatloaf and he had the chicken. We watched the Giants game. He had to leave before the game was over to go pick up his bike at Pat's house, where it had been repaired. After the game I watched a DVD of the movie The Proposition. It was like an Australian Western showing the early days of the interactions with the aborigines and with outlaws. It was pretty bloody. The only member of the cast that I was familiar with was Emily Watson, whom I admire greatly. I give it 3.4 stars.

Message 454

Yesterday I went with Vanessa and the kids to Nealon Park for play and a picnic. After we ate I took the kids to their house to play while Vanessa went to the funeral of Lynn, the long-time friend of Maureen and her family. Maureen gave the eulogy. The kids fell asleep in the car on my drive to San Mateo, so I just parked in front of their house for half an hour or so and listened to NPR while they napped.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie The New World. It was the story on the Jamestown settlement filmed near the actual historical site with real Indians. It was hard for me to understand what was happening both because they spoke the old colonial English and all the male characters looked somewhat alike with long hair and beards. I give it 3.5 stars because of its historical interest and because of the attention to detail in making it historically accurate. The unknown actress they found to play Pocahontas was quite good.

Message 453

Yesterday I again participated in the routine that Julian and Vanessa now have of having a family dinner every Sunday afternoon/evening. This time the lasagna and dessert were store-bought instead of prepared from scratch, but they were as delicious as always. When I got back to my condo I watched a DVD of the movie Two Lovers. As I watched it I began to think it looked familiar, but I could not recall seeing it before. By the time it ended I am sure I had seen it before but I had forgotten everything about how it turned out. It had a good cast and was well done, but it was not fun for me to watch because it dealt with marginally functional people struggling with self destructive behavior. However it had a good cast and was well written and well performed, so I give it 3.5 stars. I see now on my movie list that when I watched it before I gave it 5 stars, so I will let that rating stand.

Message 452

I just got back from having coffee with Helen and Jim. Helen has had a cold all week, so they missed there weekend overnight trip, but she was improved enough this morning so we had coffee. I have not seen Joshua for more than a week now. I wonder if he has already flown to Amsterdam for his work which is supposed to happen sometime soon.

Yesterday morning I met Vanessa Julian, Beech, and Annie at Starbucks. Julian and Beech had to leave early for the Kung Fu class, but Vanessa and Annie and I stayed on and met some new people who were there with kids who played with Annie. Last night I was the guest of honor at a pot luck dinner that was held by a book group that Sally founded years ago. The dinner was hosted by the Rohans, but the Solomons, and Arianos were there too. We ate outside and the food was delicious. It started at 5 PM and I was home by 9 PM, but I did not watch a DVD. Instead I finished reading The Economist.

Message 451

Yesterday I read the new Science magazine, and started the new Economist. After the Friday PBS shows were over I watched a DVD of the movie What Doesn't Kill You. It was a very gritty and realistic story of kids in Boston who get started early and grow up to be criminals and go to prison for a few years. One becomes an alcoholic and dope addict and neglects his wife and kids. This is a true story of the life of the writer/director, who eventually goes straight and cleans up while his friend goes to prison for life. I give it three stars.

Message 450

Yesterday was another quiet day at the condo. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Heaven. I had no idea what it was, but it turns out to be a gem. It is an unusual movie that goes in surprising directions. The script was written by the Polish director who did the trilogy Red, White, and Blue, the colors of the French flag. It was the last thing he did before he died at the age of 54 in 1996. The only other name associated with the film that I was familiar with was Kate Blanchett. I have been watching a lot of her movies lately. To summarize, the script, the cast, the photography, and the directing were all very good. It was filmed in Italy and has a lot of Italian cast members, but the primary language is English. The pictures of Tuscany are especially beautiful. I highly recommend it and give it 5 stars.

Message 449

I had to look at the calendar on my computer to tell whether today is Wednesday or Thursday. It turns out it is the latter, but one day is so much like another for me that it is hard for me to keep track. I have done my exercises today and have clipped my fingernails. Even these little matters of personal grooming loom large in my mind. Yesterday I finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It is a non-fiction account of a year of her life eating only locally grown food. Normally I would not expect to be interested in this subject, but she is such a good writer that I quite enjoyed it. It was one of the books given to me by Liz's friend Andrea.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Notes on a Scandal. It had a first-rate cast and was quite well done, but the subject matter was rather dark. It was unusual to see Judy Dench play the heavy. I give it 3.5 stars.

Message 448

This morning I picked up a new injection prescription at PAMF and mailed a package for Vanessa's business to South Carolina. Last night I watched disk 2 of Elizabeth One. I thought Helen Mirren did such a good job, I have upgraded it to four stars.

Message 447

Yesterday I watched Annie while Vanessa took Beech to his regular Monday appointment with his therapist. I took Annie with me to recycle Julian's big TV that quit working and was the reason he had to buy a new, but smaller one on Sunday. Afterward I took her to Nealon Park for a while and then to Una Mas where we met Vanessa and Beech for lunch. Julian is in New York this week, so Vanessa has gone to Blue Lake Springs with Maureen and the kids until Friday.

In the evening I watched Disk One of Elizabeth I with Helen Mirren. I have been getting a full treatment of the story of the first Queen Elizabeth. I give it three stars.

Message 446

Last night I joined Maureen at Vanessa and Julian's regular family dinner. They had BBQ ribs, corn on the cob, and salad. They had bought a fresh peach pie at Heidi's Pies at our breakfast in the morning, so we ate that for desert. It was all delicious.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Elizabeth, with Kate Blanchett. Without realizing it beforehand, I watched part two before I watched this first one, but I think it did not really make much difference. I give this one the same three stars I gave the other one.

Message 446

Julian, Vanessa, and the kids to me to Heidi's Pies this morning for breakfast to celebrate my birthday. After wards I went with Julian and Beech to Best Buy where Julian bought a 40-inch LCD HD TV to replace one of his that has broken after only four years. It is cheaper to buy a new one that is better than the old one for about the money it would cost to fix the old one. I helped him mount it on the wall when we got home, so now I am back at my condo and can send out this message.

Last night I babysat with Ellie and Caroline while Jason and Susan went out to dinner with some friends. We watched Ghostbusters 2 together. I had not seen it before, although I did see the original Ghostbusters when it was first in the theaters years ago. I give this one three stars, which I think is how I would rate the original one too.

Message 444

Yesterday I met Helen and Jim at Starbucks. Helen had just returned from visiting her daughter and granddaughter in Seattle. I am leaving in a few minutes to meet them again this morning. They had misread their calendar, so it will be next weekend that we will miss our regular coffee.

Last night after the Friday PBS shows, I watched a DVD of the movie Elizabeth: The Golden Age. I had missed seeing the original, so now I will probably want to add it to my Netflix queue also. I give it three stars.

Message 443

Yesterday I took Beech to his Kung Fu class and to Round Table Pizza afterward. I also read about half of the new Science. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Defiance. It is based on the true story of Jews in Belarus who survived by fleeing into the forest and fighting the Germans in World War 2. It was quite well-done and is a real epic story. I give it four stars.

Message 442

Joshua took me to The Dutch Goose for my birthday last night. We then tried to fix his computer, but finally decided that he needs to take it back to the place that replaced his motherboard nearly fours ago.

After dinner I watched a DVD of the movie A Love Song for Bobby Long. It is set in New Orleans before Katrina, and has a good performance by Scarlett Johansson. I give it three stars.

I had a nice call from Andrine this morning to wish me a happy birthday. She and Joe are fine.

Message 441

I am celebrating my birthday by watching Annie and doing laundry. Our heat wave has moderated so I took a shower this morning already. Annie is watching an Elmo DVD for now. After I hang out the laundry I may take her to the park.

I did not watch a DVD last night. Instead I watched Why We Fight and Braking the Bank on PBS. Why we fight was a review of the Bush disasters and Breaking the Bank was about Bank of America and Merrill Lynch.

Message 440

I just got back from having breakfast with Vanessa and Annie. Afterward I took Annie to the park in San Mateo and have just dropped Annie with Maureen to watch for a while during her nap.

Last nigh I watched a DVD of the movie Imaginary Heroes. It was a movie about teenage suicide, which I found very unattractive. It had a good cast and was well performed, but I think it was poorly written. I give it 2.4 stars.

Message 439

I just got back from Nealon Park.. Susan and Ellie came to visit me this morning while Caroline and her friend Amanda went for a horse back ride at Webb Ranch, so Susan and Ellie came to the park with Annie and me while Vanessa took Beech to his therapist. Maureen's friend Lynn is dying, so Vanessa dropped Beech off at the park with us and when to visit her and say goodbye. We are in the middle of a heat wave now, so I am going to have to shut my computer down after I send this message (and read the New York Times.

I had a prime rib dinner with Julian and Vanessa and the kids last night. Sunday dinner there is now going to be a regular thing. I did not watch a DVD last night. Instead I finished The Economist and Science.

Message 438

I just got back from Walking to Starbucks to have coffee with Helen and Jim. It is the first time we have met for the last three weeks. We will have to skip next weekend too, because they will be volunteering at a campout in the East Bay next weekend. Tomorrow Helen will be flying to Seattle for a few days to get her granddaughter fix.

Yesterday I had lunch with Julian, Vanessa and the kids at Una Mas. Afterward Julian and I took the kids to Nealon Park while Vanessa had her hair done.

Last night, after the Friday PBS shows, I watched a DVD of the movie The Chumscrubber. Incidentally, I notice that I did not complete the name of the movie in yestersday's message. It was Thumbsucker, not Thumb. Anyway, The Chumscrubber (which is also the name of a video game that is played by the kids in the movie), is a very strange movie with a first class cast that is an allegory about suburban life where both adults and kids are on drugs, and nobody is willing to engage honestly with anyone else. It tries to deal with serious subjects, but to me it did not come across as a successful effort. If the cast and their performances had not been so good, I would not even given it serious consideration. However, I give it three stars.

Message 437

Yesterday I had a quiet day around the condo. I did laundry and read some of the Barbara Kingsolver book that was given to me by Liz's friend Andrea. I also started reading The Economist that came in the mail yesterday. I am not meeting Helen and Jim at Starbucks until tomorrow, so I took my Boniva today instead of tomorrow as I had originally scheduled. I am now waiting the hour required before I can eat.

Last night I watched a DVD of the movie Thumb. It is about family dynamics and teenage angst. It tries hard to deal with important questions, like separation/individuation, for which I give it a lot of credit, but I think it is only partially successful. I give it three stars.

Message 436

I felt so good yesterday that I not only did my exercises, but I walked twice around the condo loop. In the afternoon I picked Beech up at school and took him to his Kung Fu class. Afterward we had pizza and he played on the game machines at Round Table Pizza.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Winter Passing. The only cast members I was familiar with were Ed Harris and Will Farrell, the later playing an unusual role for him. The movie was about a family and friends who are very eccentric and borderline dysfunctional who struggle to carry on with living. At first I thought I do not need to see all this self destructive behavior, but in the end I came to admire the life affirming image of people managing to keep going as best they can in spite of everyone's strange circumstances and troubles. I give it four stars.

Message 435

Last night I watched a DVD of the movie Sylvia. It is about the life of Sylvia Plath, the great American writer who committed suicide and left her two toddlers behind. Gwyneth Paltrow did a super job playing Sylvia. The movie was disturbing to watch for me because it had so many elements that reminded me of my relationship with Betsy. Even though I did not really enjoy watching it I have to give it four stars for the power of its portrayal.

Message 434

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Vanessa and Annie. I have dropped Annie off at Maureen's so she can have a nap before Vanessa takes her and Beech to their dentist appointment this afternoon. At 12:30 PM I have to go with Josh to give him a ride back to work while he has routine pre-paid maintenance done on his new car. He plans to drive two thousand miles over the next few days when he joins eight friends going to three Phish concerts here, and in Oregon and Washington.

Last night I watched a DVD of the movie The Weight of Water. It was a Sean Penn movie that was so/so. I give it three stars.

Message 433

Yesterday morning I took Annie with me while I had my bladder antibiotic refilled at PAMF. Vanessa took Beech to the doctor and met Annie and me at Nealon Park for play and lunch.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie In a Lonely Place. It is an old Humphrey Bogart movie that I had never heard of. It has recently been restored because it is considered a classic depiction of Hollywood life. I give it 3.8 stars.

Message 432

Yesterday I finished reading this week's Science. I finished The Economist the day before, but I forgot to mention it in yesterday's message. In the evening I had dinner at Julian and Vanessa's house. Julian grilled steaks and hamburgers. Vanessa made the mashed potatoes , salad, etc. Vanessa wants to start a tradition that every Sunday we all get together for a family meal. It is about the only time Julian sits down and eats with his family. He works such long hours during the week that the kids are in bed before he gets home.

PBS has another pledge drive going so there was no Masterpiece Theater this week. Instead I watched on of my collection that Julian and Vanessa had borrowed and watched the night before. It was called Temptress Moon. It was a Chinese movie about a fight between to Chinese tongs to control the opium trade. I could not understand who the various characters were, what their relationship was, and what was motivating them. I am sure I would appreciate it more if I watched it five or six more times, but it is not worth the trouble. I give it 2.9 stars because I found it too hard to understand.

Message 431

Yesterday Vanessa and Annie joined me for coffee at Starbucks. Beech and Julian were doing something else. Maureen and Gary also joined us. Afterward Vanessa, Annie went to Nealon Park for a while and then to Una Mas for lunch. Afterward I did my usual Saturday grocery shopping.

Las night I watched a DVD of the movie The Edge of Love. It is about Dylan Thomas and his wife and his girlfriend, and eventually the girlfriend's husband, in Britain during World War 2. I am a great admirer of Dylan Thomas' poetry, but I did not know anything about his life. I give it 3.6 stars. It may deserve more, but it was hard for me to understand a lot of the dialog.

Message 430

Yesterday I had a quiet day at home and did laundry and other chores. I finished reading the book that Vanessa gave me some time ago: In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant. It was set in the sixteenth century in Rome and Venice. I thought it gave a good feel for what life was like there and then. I also started reading this week's The Economist.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, which is based on the book by Carson McCullers. I had heard of this book but never read it. Likewise I had never seen the movie. It was made in the sixties so Alan Arkin was very young. Anyway, it was very well done and I give it four stars.