Message 551

I just got back from PAMF where I refilled my antibiotic solution prescription. Yesterday I watched football and read my Wilber Smith book. I was glad to see the 49ers win again. In the evening Joshua brought in Chinese food and watched the Sharks game with me. We were glad to see them win too. I did not watch a DVD yesterday.

Message 550

Yesterday I had my usual coffee at Starbucks and did my Safeway shopping. In the evening I hosted dinner for five at Ten Fu. I had scheduled this dinner to take my turn for the monthly dinner group that I have not been able to host since Sally died. However, most of the usual people were not able to come because they had tickets to the Stanford game against Notre Dame or had kids and grandkids staying with them for the Thanksgiving weekend. In any event Helen and Jim and Carol and David Roland and I enjoyed a good meal. After dinner I started reading The Economist. This morning I have already done the laundry and hung it out to dry on the balcony. As I write this message I am watching the 49ers playing Jacksonville.

Message 549

Yesterday I started reading my new Wilbur Smith book. In the evening Joshua brought in burgers and watched the Sharks game with me. The beat Edmonton in an overtime shootout, but they had to come from behind to do it. Marleau got a hat trick, which was nice. Clowe scored the other goal in regulation play, and Pavelski scored the winning (and only) shootout goal. I did not watch a DVD last night.

Message 548

Yesterday watched two NFL games. I was disappointed that the Raiders did not make a better showing against Dallas. I had Thanksgiving dinner at Jamie and Chelsea's home. It was wonderful to see them and the kids. Joshua did not join us. He was still recovering from his football injury. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Chasing Amy. It was made by the same people as Clerks and it dealt with much the same subject, namely how difficult it is for people to maintain intimate relationships. I give it three stars.

Message 547

Yesterday I watched a DVD of the movie Spread. I have no idea why it has this title. It is about the singles scene in Los Angeles, and it is not a pretty picture. I give it three stars. In the evening Joshua brought in fish and chips and watched the Sharks game with me. The Sharks disgraced themselves totally and lost to the Chicago Blackhawks 2-7. In their first two power plays the Sharks gave up three short-handed goals. It was a fiasco. Joshua played flag football with a dozen or so friends at his work yesterday afternoon. He had a collision with a defender when he ran a crossing pattern, so he was limping around. He is supposed to come over and watch the football games with me today if he feels good enough to get out of bed.

Ginny and Mary called me this morning. Mary flew to Atlanta and drove with Ginny and Jim to Andrine and Joe's place in Florida for Thanksgiving . They are all doing well.

Message 546

Yesterday afternoon I picked Beech up after school and took him to his Kung Fu class and to Roundtable Pizza. In the evening I watched the PBS shows Nova and Frontline instead of a DVD.

Julian and his family are leaving today to go to Blue Lake Springs for Thanksgiving. Tonight I think Joshua will come over to watch the Sharks game with me. Tomorrow he will come to watch the NFL games with me.

Message 545

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Vanessa. We are doing our usual Thursday routine on Tuesday this week because of Thanksgiving. Vanessa has a lot of back pain, so I have persuaded her to take 8-- mg of Ibuprophyn every four hours, and not to exercise until the pain is gone.

Last night I watched a DVD of the movie Clerks. I gather it is something of a cult classic, but I had never heard of it. It is cleverly written and is often funny. I give it three stars.

Message 544

Yesterday Julian and Beech came up to watch football with me. The 49er lost again, but the Raiders won a game! By replacing their number one draft pick quarterback with an unknown, they beat the Bengals, a pretty good team. In the evening I went to San Mateo for our regular Sunday family dinner. In the evening I watched the Sunday shows on PBS.

Message 543

Yesterday I read The Economist and watched the Big Game, which was very good, except that I wanted Stanford to win because they have been doing so well lately, but Cal outplayed them. Stanford was on the verge of scoring the winning touchdown in the closing seconds when Cal intercepted a pass and ran out the clock. In the evening I watched the Sharks beat Anaheim 3-2, which was good. They again this year have the best record in the NHL, and maybe this year they will not blow it in the playoffs.

Message 542

I just got back from doing my weekly Safeway shopping. I am meeting Helen and Jim at Starbucks tomorrow instead of today this week. Last night I watched the Sharks beat Philadelphia 6-3. After the game I watched a DVD of the movie Cherie. It is a period piece about the life of courtesans. The production was very well done, the sets were all beautiful, and the acting was too, but the story was just not that interesting to me. I give it three stars.

Message 541

Yesterday Vanessa and I had breakfast at Heidi's Pies as usual on Thursday. In the afternoon I picked Beech up after school and took him to Kung Fu. Afterward we went next door to Round Table Pizza. He won another stuffed animal from the machine. This one he gave to Annie when we picked her up at her day care on the way home.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Black Narcissus. This is a famous movie made at the end of World War 2, but I had never seen it. It is quite beautiful and well done, but it is mostly of technical interest because it was shot entirely in a studio but gives the powerful illusion that it was shot in Nepal. I give it 3.9 stars.

Message 540

Yesterday I finished reading Science and also finished reading my book about The National Security Agency (NSA), titled Body of Secrets by James Bamford. In the evening I watched a DVD of the Czech movie Beauty in Trouble. So far as I can remember it is the first Czech movie I ever watched. The picture it paints of the people and the lives they live there is not very attractive, but I give it three stars.

Message 539

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist and started reading Science. In the evening I watched human evolution Part 3, Nova, and Frontline on PBS. Joshua was planning to come over and watch the Sharks game with me, but it turned out not to be on TV, so we cancelled. It is just as well I suppose because I heard on the News that they lost to Nashville 3-4.

Message 538

Yesterday Vanessa fixed a lunch for everyone, so I went with Annie and her 3-year old neighbor to Nealon Park. It was a beautiful day and a good time was had by all. In the evening I watched a DVD of the Japanese movie The Pillow Book. It was a strange movie, but I suppose was an example of how different the oriental culture is about how people behave. It is really hardly worth watching, but I give it three stars.

Message 537

Yesterday Julian brought in tacos , and he and I watched football, but none of our local teams were on TV. Later I watched the Sharks lose to Chicago 4-3. In the evening I joined the family dinner in San Mateo. Julian made spaghetti and it was so good I ate too much and had to put up with indigestion in the middle of the night. In the evening I watched the PBS Sunday shows.

Message 536

Yesterday I watched Stanford beat USC and the Sharks beat St. Louis. I also read about half of The Economist. In the evening I watched a DVD of the German movie for which the English title is Gloomy Sunday. It is a well made movie by people I was not at all familiar with. It was mostly shot in Budapest and is an allegory about World War 2 and what it did to the people in Europe. It was a lot about music, and it had the bizarre conceit that a song written by a piano player in a restaurant caused lots of people commit suicide. The message was that all the elegance, sophistication, and refinement of European culture was severely tested by the insanity of the German actions during the war. I give it four stars.

I am writing this message while I wait for an hour to pass before I can eat breakfast. I took my last Boniva this morning. I am glad to be finished with it and with Fosomax. It has been about five years now since I started this chemotherapy, and my doctor says that should be enough. In general I feel so much better these days that I can believe I can do fine without it.

Message 536

Yesterday I watched Stanford beat USC and the Sharks beat St. Louis. I also read about half of The Economist. In the evening I watched a DVD of the German movie for which the English title is Gloomy Sunday. It is a well made movie by people I was not at all familiar with. It was mostly shot in Budapest and is an allegory about World War 2 and what it did to the people in Europe. It was a lot about music, and it had the bizarre conceit that a song written by a piano player in a restaurant caused lots of people commit suicide. The message was that all the elegance, sophistication, and refinement of European culture was severely tested by the insanity of the German actions during the war. I give it four stars.

I am writing this message while I wait for an hour to pass before I can eat breakfast. I took my last Boniva this morning. I am glad to be finished with it and with Fosomax. It has been about five years now since I started this chemotherapy, and my doctor says that should be enough. In general I feel so much better these days that I can believe I can do fine without it.

Message 535

I am back from Starbucks and Safeway shopping, and am getting ready to watch Stanford vs. USC football. Yesterday I watched Beech while Vanessa and Annie went to PAMF. I then had dinner at Cook's Seafood with Vanessa and the kids. In the evening after the PBS Friday shows, I watched a DVD of the movie The Education of Charlie Banks. It is a coming of age movie without sex. All the people involved were unknown to me, but I thought it was well done. I give it 3.8 stars.

Message 534

Yesterday afternoon I picked Beech up at school and took him to his Kung Fu class. Afterward we went next door to Round Table Pizza as usual. In the evening Joshua came over and watched the 49ers beat Chicago 13-6 on Thursday night football. Both teams looked bad for the most part, but Chicago threw five interceptions which lost the game for them. It is a win though, so we will take it any way we can get it. After football we watched the Sharks game. The went ahead 2-0 in the second period, but then let up and ended up losing the game in an overtime shootout. It is not so bad though. They still have the best record in the NHL. Watching all these sports did not leave any time to watch a DVD.

Message 533

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Vanessa. Beech is in school, and I took Annie to her daycare. When I told Annie this morning that it was time to get dressed, she said "No way!" and ran away. She later called me blockhead. She is learning new things every day and is an absolutely wonderful girl. She has gone more than two days now without an accident, so she is making progress on her potty training. Before she would get dressed she peed in her potty and emptied it into the toilet.

Last night I watched a DVD of the movie Sin Nombre. It was a Mexican movie, and I never learned what the title means. It is a complicated story about central Americans trying to get to the United States. It is also about the gang culture and that preys on the immigrants. It has subtitles and it was hard for me to keep track of who was who, and I could not understand the motives for a lot of things the characters did. I give it three stars because I had such a hard time understanding it, otherwise I would have given it four stars.

Message 532

I just got back from refilling my antibiotic prescription at PAMF. Yesterday I finished reading The Economist . In the evening I watched the Sharks beat Nashville 4-3. The Sharks are on track to be the best team in the NHL again this season. I hope that this time they can perform better in the Stanley Cup playoffs too. Because of the Sharks game, I did not watch a DVD yesterday.

Message 531

Last night I went to Gombei with Larry and Judi for dinner. Afterward I watched a DVD of the movie Moliere. The title is the name of a famous French playwright about three hundred years ago. The movie is an imagined experience that Moliere had during a part of his life that his activities and whereabouts are unknown. In many ways it resembles the movie Shakespeare In Love, in that the writers take themes and phrases from the authors real work and imbed it in the imagined story. When I was taking a course in French literature in college I read Moliere as well as all the other great French writers, of which there are more than in any other language except English. Anyway, I give this movie 3.7 stars.

This morning after doing my exercises and eating breakfast, I went downtown and had my haircut. It was overdue, but I had it cut short so I should be good for a couple of months now.

Message 530

Yesterday Julian dropped Beech off at my place on his way to the airport. He has flown to London, Dublin, and Brussels for business and will not be back until Saturday. Joshua brought in pizzas, so he and I and Beech watched the 49ers play Tennessee. We were disgusted to see them throw away what should have been an easy victory. May they better switch back to the other quarterback.

After the game we went back to San Mateo for the Sunday family dinner. Vanessa had fixed ribs, and they were excellent. This morning I slept in late enjoying the clean sheets and extra blankets I put on the bed yesterday. This morning I did my exercises and have started a load of laundry.

Message 529

Today is Ellie's sixth birthday. Yesterday I rode with Julian and his kids to Los Gatos for the party. Vanessa had another outing scheduled. It was a great party and dinner. Susan had fixed a variety of great dishes that appealed to both the kids and the adults.Linda and Walt were there too, and Linda had baked the cake, which was delicious. It had not held its shape, but nobody but her cared because it was so good.

When I got home I watched a DVD of the French movie for which the English title is Avenue Montaigne. I have been watching a lot of French movies lately. One of the nice things about this one is that it had a lot to do with classical music. Also, it was a nice low key feel good movie. I give it three stars.

Message 528

I am late again today getting this message out. I met Helen and Jim at Starbucks. Vanessa and Annie found me in Safeway afterward. Helen and Jim left early so they missed seeing Vanessa and Annie. Vanessa and Annie came to my condo while I put away the groceries and put my laundry on the balcony to dry. Afterward we went to Nealon Park. Vanessa is working on toilet training Annie, so we kept pretty busy.

Last night I watched a DVD of the French movie Au Revois Les Enfantes written and directed by Louis Malle. The title means goodbye Children which is what the head priest said when the Gestapo took him away with the jewish boys for the concentration camp near the end of the movie. The movie is about boys in a Catholic school during World War 2, and is based on the writer's experiences during the war. I give it 3.6 stars.

Message 527

I forgot to mention in yesterday's message that I had an appointment with my dermatologist Wednesday afternoon. She froze a few spots for me and wrote a prescription for Efudex for my forearms. She also said I should start taking 1000 IUs of vitamin-D every day, instead of four days a week as I have been doing for the past few months. Yesterday afternoon I picked Beech up at school and took him to his Kung Fu class as usual. Afterward we went next door to the pizza place. In the evening I watched a DVD of the French movie The Story of Adele H. It was made in 1975 and directed by Truffaut, the same who directed last night's movie. This movie would have been pretty boring except that it is a true story based on the diary of Victor Hugo's daughter, the youngest of his four children. She was a troubled, almost psychotic woman, but very dogged in her dedication to her fantasies. I give it three stars.

This morning a crew is due to show up and install my new awning on my balcony.

Message 526

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Vanessa. Last night I watched a DVD of the French movie Mississippi Mermaid (La Sirene du Mississippi). It came out in 1969 and stars Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Belmondo, and it was directed by Truffaut. With these famous people, I figured it should be good, but I give it only three stars. It realistically shows what happens when marginally functional people fall in love and become obsessed with each other to the point of self destructive behavior. Even though it has many of the same elements as Heaven, a movie I thought very good, I somehow found it something of a turn-off instead of an inspiration. I suppose my reaction is because the characters remind me to much of my life with Betsy, Liz and Ethan's mother.

Message 525

Yesterday was another quiet day working on my memoirs. In the evening I watched three programs on PBS instead of a DVD. I watched the Nova show on human evolution, Warplane, and Frontline about medicating children for ADHD, etc. All of the shows were very good.

Message 524

Yesterday I had another quiet day at home working on my memoirs. In the evening I watched a DVD of the French movie for which the English translation is And God Created Woman. It came out in 1956 and was Bridget Bardot's first movie. I had heard of it but I had never seen it. I am amazed that it is so bad. The plot is absurd and the acting is awkward. I give it two stars.

Message 523

Yesterday Julian and Beech came up and brought lunch and watched the 49ers game with me. Our team did well against the Colts, one of the best teams, but they lost anyway. Later I watched the Raiders for a while, but they were so bad I switched to watch Brett Favre beat Green Bay. Afterward I went to the Sunday family dinner in San Mateo. Julian grilled steak and Vanessa made rattatooie(SP?) and rice. Beech and Annie had lots of candy from their Trick or Treat outing the night before. In the evening I watched the PBS shows, one a derivative thing about Jane Austen and the other was Part 1 of a mystery.

Message 522

Yesterday I started reading The Economist. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie The Piano Teacher. Is a French movie with subtitles. It has a good cast and is elaborately produced. Its best feature is that it has music as an important element of the story. However, it is about pathologically warped people who have very painful lives. Even though it is based on a book by a Nobel-prize-winning author, it has too degenerate and pessimistic a picture of humanity to make it worth watching. Even though it is realistic and depicts human characteristics that do exist, it is hardly worth the three stars it give it.