Message 490

Yesterday was another quiet day. I read this weeks Science. The Charlie Rose show was on at noon and was about Iran. I do not understand why it was not on the previous midnight.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Rushmore. Aside from a couple of strange and funny bits, I thought it was stupid and boring. Bill Murray usually does better than this. I give it 2.4 stars.

Message 489

Yesterday I had a quiet day. I finished reading The Economist. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Eastern Promises. It was a British movie about Russian gangsters and human trafficking. It was very well done. I give it four stars. Last night for some reason there was no Charlie Rose. These National Park shows are disrupting the usual schedule I suppose. Maybe it will be on today at noon.

Message 488

Yesterday I watched football with Josh, Julian, and Beech. We were all disappointed that the 49ers lost on the last play of the game, but we were heartened by the fact that they played so well against a better team. I participated again in the regular Sunday family dinner in San Mateo. Julian had cooked two different kinds of chili. We all had fun. In the evening PBS started showing the new Ken Burns work on the national parks, so I read some more of The Economist while it played in the background. I again turned in early (at midnight) and had a good night's sleep.

Message 487

Today is my new Boniva day, the third Sunday in the month from now on. Yesterday I met Helen and Jim at Starbucks, as usual. I had the unexpected pleasure of joining Vanessa and Annie for lunch at Una Mas too. Last night I went to the Berkeley's for the pot luck dinner group. There were 14 people there, and all of Ginny Wilson's apple pie and my cherry pie and half gallon of ice-cream were eaten. When I got home I read some of The Economist and turned in early before midnight.

Message 486

Yesterday was another day to add a little to my memoirs. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Black Snake Moan. It was a very rough and gritty story based on blues music. It had a good cast, especially Christina Ricci and Samuel Jackson, but also Justin Timberlake. Against all the odds, it ended up on a hopeful note. I give it four stars.

Message 485

Yesterday afternoon I added a little more to my memoirs. I am in the 10th grade now. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio. It paints a really good picture of life in the Midwest in the fifties and sixties. It is based on the memoirs of one of the daughters of the woman who is the leading character, played by Julianne Moore. I give it 3.5 stars. When it was over I watched the last half of the PBS documentary on the sixties, especially the pivotal year 1968. It was extremely well done. I was surprised at how strongly I still react to these reminders of how strongly I felt during those times.

Message 484

I just got back from breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Vanessa and Annie. Annie was not quite so well behaved as she was last week, so we may take her to daycare next week. Julian is in New York all week, so Beech is having his troubles too. Vanessa decided to have him skip Kung Fu this afternoon.

Last night I watched a DVD of the movie August Rush. It has an absurd plot but it is well acted and features music in a good way. It is good to see Robin Williams again in a supporting role. It is a feel good movie with a happy ending. I give it four stars.

Message 483

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist. I went to Starbucks and had a coffee and read this week's Science while Orlindo's crew cleaned my condo. In the evening Joshua brought in Boston Market meatloaf for me (and chicken for him) which we ate while watching two hours on PBS dealing with what happened when the Spaniards first encountered the Incas and then the Aztecs. It was interesting to see how the physical evidence from the bones gave a different account from that written by the Spaniards at the time. Josh got back from Amsterdam Sunday. He had a successful trip. He even went to an art museum with a girl.

Message 482

Yesterday I had a routine dentist appointment after lunch. In the evening I met Julian and Vanessa at Gombei (a local Japanese place) for dinner. Julian left for New York this morning and will not be back until Friday. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Valkyrie in which Tom Cruise leads the plot to kill Hitler in a true story. I had read the history years ago, so I was familiar with what happened, and I think the movie stuck close to the facts. I am a little prejudiced against Tom Cruise, so I only give this film 3.6 stars, even though it was well done, was based on a true story, and had a good cast.

I just called Orlindo to send a crew over to clean my condo. He did not have any openings this week except for this afternoon, so I now have to scurry around and get everything ready to be cleaned.

Message 481

I just got back from refilling my antibiotic prescription at PAMF. I also just realized that I forgot to take my Boniva pill yesterday, so I think I will just take it next Sunday instead. Yesterday I watched football with Beech and Julian. It was great to have the Raiders and 49er both win. In the evening I went to San Mateo and joined everyone again for the regular Sunday family dinner. In the evening I watched another Inspector Lewis episode on Masterpiece Mystery on PBS.

Message 480

Yesterday I met Helen and Jim at Starbucks and then did my Safeway shopping for the week. During the day I read about half of The Economist. I had dinner in Los Gatos with Jason and Susan and the girls. In the evening I watched a DVD of a French Canadian movie the translated title of which was Heart of Stone. It was about life on the frontier about two hundred years ago. It reminded me of my life in Alaska. It was a pretty heavy story with people doing bad things and girls dying, but it was pretty realistic. I prefer upbeat stories, but I give this one three stars.

Message 479

Yesterday I went out to dinner and a movie with the Morrills and Ariagnos. We went to Sultana and then to Palo Alto Square to see the movie Amreeka (which is the Arab word for America). It is about a 16-year old Palestinian boy and his mother who come to the Chicago suburbs. They stay with relatives and have lots of troubles adjusting to the new world, but they hang in there and gradually find their way. I give it three stars.

Message 478

Yesterday afternoon I picked Beech up at his school and took him to his Kung Fu class. Afterward we went next door for our pizza. He was willing to limit himself this time to the allotted two dollar limit for games. He may be beginning to understand that he would be better off financially if he bought the stuffed animals in a store.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the Canadian movie with the translated title The Barbarian Invasions. It is in French with English subtitles. It is very good and deals with all of the important subjects, and it is full of literary and historical references, but they are hard to catch from the subtitles. It is centered around a dying old man surrounded by his family and friends, but it is basically a celebration of his life and includes a lot of humor. I give it 4.5 stars.

Message 477 (the other messsage has a typo)

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Vanessa and Annie. Annie was real good today. Yesterday I worked so more on my memoirs. I am in the tenth grade now. Last night I watched a DVD of the movie The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. It is a holocaust story told through the eyes of the eight-year-old son of death camp administrator. It is very well done. I give it four stars.

Message 476

Yesterday I finished this week's The Economist, and I also read the new Science. In the evening I watched a DVD of an Italian movie whose title in translation is I'm Not Scared. It is about small children out in the country, mostly boys, one of whom finds another ten-year-old boy who has been kidnapped and is being held prisoner at an abandoned farm. The scenery is beautiful, and it has a happy ending. I give it three stars.

Message 475

Yesterday about noon Dennis Rohan called me and said he had a couple of tickets to the Giants game and he would like to take me as his guest. I had been planning to watch the Raiders play San Diego on Monday Night Football, but I decided I should be sociable and accept the invitation. We took the train both ways. Tim Lincicomb was pitching, so it was wonderful to see him in action. He looks like a young boy, but he is really good. The Giants won against Colorado, who they are chasing trying to get in the playoffs, so the game was fun to watch. Also, it did not get cold, so I could have managed without my jacket, although I am glad I had it. On the train on the way home, we learned that the Raiders had lost at the last minute, so I am glad I went to the ball game.

Message 474

Yesterday I watched football all day. It was very gratifying to see the 49ers win. I really admire what Mike Singleterry has done to turn the team around. I was also able to read about half of The Economist while I watched all the football. In the evening I watched another episode of Inspector Lewis on Masterpiece Mystery.

We had strange weather yesterday. It even rained about a tenth of an inch. Today the sun is shining brightly, and it is so beautiful I think I will walk up to Starbucks and have a hot chocolate.

Message 473

Yesterday I met Helen and Jim at Starbucks as usual on Saturdays. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Brick. As I watched it, I realized I had seen it before, but I had completely forgotten it. Now that I have seen it again, I can see why I forgot it. It is very hard to make any sense of it. After watching the special features discussions, I realize it is an imitation Dashiel-Hammet-film-noir-detective story set in a high school. The language is largely invented, but clever. It takes a while to tune in to the way people talk, and it is often incomprehensible. I give it 3.2 stars.

Message 472

Yesterday I went out to an early dinner with Larry, Judi, and Rita, Larry's sister from Denver. After dinner we went to Flint center at De Anza College to hear the talk by Tom Friedman about his new book Hot, Flat, and Crowded. I had seen him on Charlie Rose talk for an hour about this book, so I did not hear any new ideas, but it was a pleasure to see him in person after watching and admiring him on TV for so many years. The only thing that surprised me was that he is so short. Always on TV I have seen him sitting down, so I did not know how tall he was. I suppose I projected on him that he must be tall because I hold him in such high regard. I did not watch a DVD last night, but I read a lot in my book about NSA.

Message 471

Yesterday I had breakfast with Vanessa at Heidi's Pies. We took Annie to her daycare place. Now that she is two years she is getting too hard to control. I had to literally hold her down to get her dressed. As soon as she was dressed she settled down like nothing had happened, but she struggled like a wildcat trying to stop me from putting her clothes on. In the afternoon I took Beech to his Kung Fu class. He had a good day. He seems very dedicated to it. Afterward we went to Round Table next door and had pizza. He is getting very good at the game that picks up the stuffed animals and drops them in the bin that leads to the player. He won two of them to take home yesterday. Of course, he now owes me nine dollars for the extra money I have given them over the weeks to let him keep playing on this machine, even though I tell him it is a gyp. He says he will do chores for his mother to earn the money to pay me.

In the evening I tried to watch a DVD, but I could not make it work in either of my players. I have previously had broken or cracked disks that would not play, but this is the first one that seemed visibly OK but would not work. Netfilx will send me another copy. Instead I watched the DVD that Tim Ferris sent me of Eric Burden and the New Animals. It has been years since I first saw it at his house with Ginny and Jason. I also read some more of the NSA history book. It is about people and things that I know something about.

Message 470

Yesterday I took my van in for its 90, 000 mile servicing. It took all day, so I had to take a loaner car home and drive back at 6 PM to pick it up. I saw the first part of Obama's speech on TV, then listened to most of the rest of it on the radio. I thought it was a good speech. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Last night I watched a DVD of the movie The Lookout. It was an unusual movie about a bank heist, where the main character was brain damaged so he had trouble remembering things and was marginally functional. The only actor I was familiar with was Jeff Daniels, but he was a supporting character. I give it 3.6 stars.

Message 469

Yesterday I took Larry and Judi and Larry's sister Rita and their two grandchildren, Brad and Tannis to San Mateo for a play date with Beech and Annie. Vanessa fixed a wonderful dinner and the kids had a ball. I got home in time to see the second half of The News Hour and Nightly Business Report.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Trans-Siberia. It was a thriller/mystery with Ben Kingsley and Woody Haralson the only actors I was familiar with. Its main attraction was that it was filmed in China and Russia on the trans-Siberian railroad, which was interesting for me to see. I give it 3.6 stars.

Message 468

Yesterday I had coffee with Helen and Jim because it was a holiday. In the late afternoon I went to the usual Sunday family dinner at Julian and Vanessa's that was held on Monday this week because of Memorial Day. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Iron Man. I was amazed at what a good cast it had. Also, I am not much of a fan of comic book movies, but I thought this one was much better than usual. I give it 3.5 stars.

Message 477

Yesterday was Annie's birthday, and Vanessa and Julian had coffee and bagels and fruit and orange juice and cupcakes at Nealon Park as a family celebration. It was very nice, and convenient for me too. Afterwards I came back to my condo and finished reading The Economist. In the evening I watched Masterpiece Mystery on PBS. I just got a call from Helen so I am leaving now to walk up to Starbucks to join her and Jim.

Message 466

Yesterday morning I met Helen and Jim at Starbucks as usual for Saturday. In the afternoon I picked Beech and Annie up and took them to Larry and Judi's house to play with their grandchildren, Brad and Tannis, who are a boy and a girl 6 and 4 years old. They live in Fresno, but are staying with their grandparents for a couple of weeks while their mom and dad get away for a vacation without kids. They all had a great time playing, especially riding on the zip line that Larry has strung across his back yard. Vanessa and Julian stopped by about 4:30 PM to take them home. I then went home and changed clothes to go to Ariagnos house for appetizers with the Willettes and Morrills and Larry's sister Rita. (Laurene and George have been visiting their daughter and her family (including their 16-month old grandson), for the past week or so. They will be flying back home to France on Wednesday.) There three of Ariagnos grandchildren joined Brad and Tannis in the pool, with Ron in there with them as the adult presence. Annie and Beech were invited to this swim party too, but I figured they were not up to staying up that late after their usual bedtime. Also, I did not feel up to watching them there. Besides, after their afternoon playdate, they were pretty well worn out. After a couple of hours at the Ariagnos we all returned to the Morrills house for the main course and dessert part of our meal.

It was near midnight when I got back home, so I did not watch a DVD. As usual when I eat so much food so late in the evening, I had indigestion all night. However, it was such a fun day that it was worth it.

Message 465

Yesterday about noon Vanessa called and asked me to take Maureen to the PAMF Urgent Care Center, so I did. She had been having heartburn-like symptoms for several hours and thought it might have something to do with her heart. She was at PAMF for six hours or so , but in spite of x-rays, etc., they were not able to figure out what was the cause of her pain and general feeling that something was wrong. I went home after about an hour at PAMF because in the meantime her son Jess and Vanessa had both arrived. A year ago Vanessa asked Maureen to take me to PAMF Urgent Care the day after my prostate surgery, so this year it was my turn to return the favor. For the rest of the afternoon I watched the PBS news programs and read half of The Economist, which came in the afternoon mail as usual. I forgot to mention in yesterday's message that I read this week's Science which came on Thursday.

In the evening Joshua brought in Mexican food and watched San Francisco lose to San Diego in their final pre-season NFL game. A week from tomorrow will be their first real game of the new season, but Joshua will miss it and the following week's game too because he is flying to Amsterdam today for about ten days. Kevin Sorrels is driving him to the airport.

Message 464

Yesterday Vanessa and I had breakfast at Heidi's Pies. Beech was in school in his combined kindergarten/first grade class. Annie was at day care, so we had a peaceful and relaxing breakfast. In the afternoon I took Beech to his Kung Fu class and then to Roundtable Pizza.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Last Chance Harvey. It had a good cast but was basically a boring movie. I give it 2.5 stars.

Message 463

Yesterday I watched Annie for a couple of hours in the morning. In the late afternoon I joined Vanessa and the kids for dinner at Una Mas. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie The Soloist. The acting was very good, but the things that were best were the music and the fact that it is based on a true story. In fact the actual people were interviewed in the Special Features. Also, it was interesting to see a treatment of homelessness and mental illness. I give it four stars.

Message 462

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie "13 Conversations About One Thing." It has a good cast, but I found the concept tedious. I give it 2.2 stars.

Message 461

This week's issue of The Economist did not arrive until yesterday (Monday). That is the latest ever. I had begun to think tar staff had been allowed to take a summer vacation. In the past it has almost always arrived on Friday, with occasional arrivals on Saturday, but Monday is the new record for lateness. Anyway, I have read only about half of it so far. Last night I went out to dinner with the Ariagnos and the Morrills. It was a new place in Palo Alto that has a fixed price bargain option on Mondays. The food was good, but the price was $40 per person, so I did not think it much of a bargain. It was great to see everyone again though. It has been quite a while since we last got together as a group. I will see them again this coming Saturday though when the Willetts will be able to join us. too.

Last night I watched a DVD of the movie Lovely & Amazing. It is a charming depiction of a family of semi-dysfunctional but good-hearted women: a mother, two daughters, and an adopted daughter. It had a top-quality cast and enough non-erotic nudity that I give it four stars.