Message 938

I forgot to mention a couple of days ago the I watched Disk 1 of Season 2 of Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse. Last night I watched Disk 2. I think the Buffy, Angel, and Firefly series are much better. Last night I also watched the Sharks beat Chicago 5-3. For a change they did not fold in the third period.

Message 937

I just got back from Heidi’s Pies. It was just Reggie and me this morning. Last night I watched the Sharks lose to the Wild. They went into the third period leading 3-2 and then lost 5-3. Discouraging to say the least. I also finished reading Science.

Message 936

Yesterday afternoon I went to CVS and bought a new supply of Cetaphil and Cere Ve. I then watched the Vikings beat the Eagles on Monday Night Football that was postponed until Tuesday because of the snow storm. I also read part of the new Science.

Message 935

Yesterday I read some more on my Kindle. In the evening I watched the Sharks lose to the LA Kings. The score was 0-0 going into the third period, but then everything fell apart and the kings won 5-0. You never know how sports are going to turn out.

Message 934

Yesterday Joshua came over and watched the 49ers lose to the Rams and lose all possibility of a place in playoffs. He brought in pizza, and at least that was good. We were also both disappointed that the Raiders lost too. Now there is nothing left but the Sharks, although Josh still follows the Golden State Warriors. Josh said he did not have a wager with Ethan. I must have misunderstood him. In the evening I watched the new Masterpiece production on PBS. I also read more on my Kindle.

Message 933

Yesterday afternoon I had Christmas dinner at Maureen’s house along with along with a dozen or so family members. It was very nice. When I got back I read some more on my kindle. Josh called yesterday and said he will come watch the 49ers game with me this morning. He said he has a wager with Ethan on the game, which is with St. Louis.

Message 932

Merry Christmas all. I just had a long Skype visit with Liz and Bill. Jason invited me to join them for a party with the family in Los Gatos yesterday afternoon, but I was feeling tired and lazy so I declined. I had just seen him and three of his girls and gave him his family envelopes on Tuesday. He told me they had seen Josh and Natalie at Northstar, so Josh may still be up there skiing. Yesterday I finished reading The Girl Who Played with Fire. She was able to rise from the dead at the end. I have now started the third book in the series.

Message 931

I just got back from PAMF and Safeway picking up my medicine and groceries to get me through the next few days. Last night I watched the Sharks beat Phoenix 4-1. It is their fourth win in a row. This time the stars (Marleau, Thornton, and Boyle) scored the goals for a change. I also read a lot more on my Kindle. I am beginning to wonder if I am reading the third book instead of the second in the series, since the main character just got killed near the end of the book.

Message 930

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi’s Pies. Henry and Reggie were both there, along with Henry’s brother-in-law. After breakfast I stopped by Julian and Vanessa’ house. Only the cleaning women were there, the ones who used to work for me. I think Julian and Vanessa and the kids must have gone to the mountains for a few days of skiing. I left off their Xmas envelopes. I know they will be back by Saturday. Last night I watched a DVD of the movie The Nines. It was not much good. I give it 2 stars. I also watched The Nutcracker on PBS. I have seen it many times, but this was a new production by thr San Francisco Ballet Company. The Nutcracker music was the first classical music I tuned into.

Message 929

Yesterday Jason stopped by with Melanie, Carolyn, and Ellie. He helped me get my balcony drain unplugged. Actually it was Val who finally showed us how to do it with a plunger instead of a snake. We then all had lunch at El Cerrito. I gave Jason the Xmas envelops for his family and the will and stuff from the Safe Deposit box for his use as executer. Jason and the girls were headed to Northstar for some skiing. They will be back for Christmas. Amelia could not go because of her flag team practice. In the evening I watched the Sharks beat Edmonton 2-1. It was mostly a defensive game. The score was 0-0 until the middle of the second period. They almost had a shutout, but in the last couple of minutes they let in a goal. Couture again scored the winning goal. I got a lot more read on my Kindle too.

Message 928

Last night I watched a DVD of the movie Underworld. It was about a war between Vampires and Werewolves. It had a very good cast but it was most a derivative of the Matrix movies and was nowhere near up the the standards of Buffy. I give it 2 stars.

Message 927

I just got home from downtown where I got a haircut and closed out my safe deposit box at the bank. Yesterday the Raiders were blacked out, so I watched three other NFL games, and then saw the highlights of the Raider game after it was over. For some reason the water was turned off in the whole Menlo Commons complex about 2 PM yesterday and it did not come back on until about 9:30 Pm last night. It eventually became a problem for me to flush the toilet, so I had to improvise. The drain on my bedroom balcony got plugged up so the balcony started filling up with the heavy rain we had yesterday, so I started scooping it into a wastebasket and pouring it into the toilet to flush like I used to have to do in Alaska. I got the double benefit of flushing the toilets and lowering the wter level on the balcony so it did not flow into the bedroom and wet the carpet. I also got a lot read on my Kindle yesterday.

Message 926

I just got back from having coffee at Starbucks. Next Saturday is Xmas, so we will not do Starbucks, but Helen said they may call me during the week. Yesterday I finished reading The Economist. I also watched the Sharks beat the St. Louis Blues. The Blues play a rough aggressive game, but the Sharks were able to win, thanks in part to two more goals by their rookie Logan Couture. We had a heave rain last night and my bedroom balcony is not draining. I went out and stuck a screwdriver down it but could not find the blockage. So far the water in not high enough to wet the floor of my bedroom.

Message 925

I just got back from doing my Safeway shopping and picking up prescriptions at CVS. Jim called last night and changed our Starbucks meeting to Sunday (tomorrow). We are having a lot of rain, but it does not make any difference to me. Last night I watched a DVD of the Chinese movie. Infernal Affairs. It is a cops vs gang movie with each side having a mole in the other organization. It is a resonably well done thriller, but a little hard to follow on occasion. There is always a question of who is good and who is bad. The Chinese seem to like subtlety and ambiguity. I give it 2.9 stars.

Message 924

Yesterday I read a lot on my Kindle. In the evening Joshua brought in fish and chips from Cook’s and watched the 49ers and Sharks games with me. The 49er were humiliated by San Diego, but amazingly, they still have a chance of making the playoffs. The Sharks blew their lead in the third quarter and had to win 4-3 in overtime on a goal by the rookie Logan Couture.

Message 923

I just got back from Heidi’s Pies. Henry was back and brought his brother-in-law too. Also, Reggie was there. Vanessa could not make it this week because she was involved in something for Beech’s school. Yesterday I read on my Kindle and turned in early.

Message 922

Yesterday Mimi moved back to San Jose. The commute had become too hard and too expensive. At the beginning of December I told her we would have to come to a new agreement. I told her we could continue as we were until the end of December, but she got her stuff moved out and left yesterday. We are still on good terms and may see each other again, but it now seems her mother will live years longer than we originally thought. Yesterday I read on my Kindle and watched the local PBS shows on Saving the Bay. I was surprised and sorry that Richard Holbrooke died. I liked him a lot and saw him often on Charlie Rose. He died young, at only 69.

Message 921

Yesterday I finished reading Science. In the afternoon I drove Vanessa and the kids to Los Gatos to play in the afternoon and when Jason came home about 5 PM we went to Live Oak Kitchen for dinner. As usual afterward we went next door for ice cream. We all had a great time, the kids especially. Jason the went to San Jose to meet Josh at the Sharks game. Ehen I got home I watched the Sharks play Dallas on TV and was sorry to see the Sharks lose in a shootout 2-3.

Message 920

Beech and Josh came over to watch football with me yesterday. Josh brought in lunch from Taco Bell. It was tough to see the Raiders lose to Jacksonville on the last play of the game, but it was great to watch the 49ers beat Seattle so decisively. As amazing as it seems, neither the Raiders or the 49ers have been eliminated from the playoffs yet. Mimi and I went to San Mateo for the family dinner. Vanessa did the cooking this time since Julian is in Japan. In the evening we watched a DVD of the movie Dr. Bell and Mr. Doyle: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes. It was well done, but convoluted. I give it three stars.

Message 919

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist. In the afternoon, Beech came over and played chess with me. He was ahead when we quit the game and watched the DVD he brought of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. He was a pleasure to be with the whole time. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Iron Jawed Angels. It was about the final eight years of the women’s suffrage movement in our country. I was mostly ignorant about the subject and was unaware of what a villain President Wilson was until near the end. I give it 4.5 stars. After the movie, I watched the Sharks game against the Chicago Blackhawks. They were tied 1-1 in the middle of the second period. They won 2-1 in overtime with Ryan Clowe scoring both goals. It was great to watch.

Message 918

Mimi and I met Helen and Jim at Starbucks this morning. Yesterday I read about half od The Economist. I was a little bit sick Thursday night, and I still feel a little bit weak, but I am not sick any more.

Message 917

I worked some more on my memoirs yesterday. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Temple Grandin. It starred Claire Danes and was the true life story about a girl who was autistic but was able to overcome her handicap and eventually get her Masters and PhD and now is on the faculty at a university in Colorado. I found it very interesting and give it five stars.

Message 916

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi’s Pies with Mimi, Reggie, Vanessa, and Annie. In the afternoon I got a call from Josh that the Sharks game was on Versus. They were ahead of Philadelphia 1-0 in the first period, but they were behind 1-4 by the middle of the third period. They then caught fire and tied it up. Philadelphia almost scored when time ran out, but the replay showed the puck was only half way across the goal line when the clock showed 0.00 seconds remaining. The Sharks then won the shootout. I got some more read on my Kindle on The Girl Who Played with Fire yesterday. Last night Mimi and I watched the Whole Wide World. I still think it is worth 5 stars.

Message 915

Yesterday I had lunch in Nealon Park with Vanessa and Annie. In the evening Mimi and I ate dinner at Sizzler. I ate too much and was uncomfortable all night. I am going to have to cut back. Mimi and I then watched Taxi Driver. I had seen it in the theater about 35 years ago, but I had forgotten almost everything about it. One scene I did have a vivid memory of was not on the DVD. Memory is a strange thing. I do not know now whether I imagined the scene or whether this is a different cut of the movie. The cast was great and unbelievably young. Jodie Foster was only twelve years old.It was not Robert DeNiro’s or Harvey Keitel’s first film, but it was near the beginning for both of them. Because insanity is not much fun to watch, I give it only for stars.

Message 914

Yesterday I helped Vanessa with the booklet she is working on for the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Cranio-Facial Anomalies Clinic. In the afternoon I watched the Sharks beat Detroit 5-3 in Detroit. It was a complete reversal of the game a few days ago when the Redwings beat the Sharks in San Jose. That’s sports for you. In the evening Mimi and I watched the Thai movie Ghost of Mae Nak. I give it two stars. It was not as bad as most ghost movies. I have almost finished my Kindle book.

Message 913

I was very disappointed yesterday at how bad the 49ers looked against Green Bay, but I was surprised and glad to see the Raiders do so well against San Diego. Mimi and I had dinner with Julian Vanessa and the kids. In the evening we watched Legally Blonde. I had seen it before, but had mostly forgotten it. I was surprised at how good it was. I give it 3.7 stars.

Message 912

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist and read a little more on my Kindle. Last night Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Romance and Cigarettes. It is not up to the usual Coen brothers standards, perhaps because this on was written by John Turturro instead of by the Coens. This one had a lot of singing by the cast, and it was mostly a big joke except that it tried to deal with a serious subject. I give it 2 stars.

Message 911

I just got back from doing the Safeway shopping. No Starbucks today because Helen and Jim were busy with something else. I stsrted reading the Economist yesterday and worked on my memoirs. Last night Mimi and I watched Water. I had seen it before and I still think it rates 5 stars.

Message 910

Yesterday I worked on my memoirs and read on my Kindle. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie September Dawn. It was based on the true story of how on 11 September 1857 the Mormons killed 127 men women and children in a wagon train that was passing through Utah on its way to California. The U.S. Army later executed the leader of the Mormon group of killers, but they allowed the others, including Brigham Young, to get off unpunished. Because of it 9/11 date, the story particularly resonates today as an example of the terrible things people can do in the name of their religion. I give it three stars.

Message 909

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi’s Pies with Reggie. Mimi could not go today because she got a call that her mother had fallen out of bed and needed her attention. Vanessa could not make it either, but I stopped by to see her afterward and to play with Annie while Vanessa went out for an appointment. Yesterday I worked some more on my memoirs and read some more on my Kindle. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Slipstream. It was written and directed by Anthony Hopkins, who also played the main role. It was a strange and disjointed movie about how movies are written and produced with a lot of inside film jokes. It is hard to make sense of until you figure it out. I give it three stars.

Message 908

Yesterday I read Science and worked a little bit on my memoirs. Mimi and I went to Harry’s Hoffbrau for dinner. It has more choices than Sizzler, and it is a shorter drive. In the evening we watched a DVD of the Chinese martial arts movie Fearless starring Jet Li, who I had not heard of. It was based on a true story from about a hundred years ago. I give it three stars.

Message 907

I just got back from PAMF where I refilled my prescription for the antibiotic saline solution. Yesterday I watched the 49ers beat Phoenix on Monday Night Football. The Niners won, but Frank Gore got hurt and may be out for the season. After the game, Mimi and I watched a DVD of the French movie The Lover. I had seen it before, but on second viewing, it was even better. It is about a poor fifteen year old French girl living in Vietnam about a hundred years ago who has a 32 year old rich Chinese man as a lover. It is very well done. I give it five stars.

Message 906

Yesterday I finished The Economist. I tried to watch the Raiders, but they were blacked out. I saw on the news that they lost anyway, so it was just as well. In the late afternoon Mimi and I had dinner with Julian and Vanessa and the kids. They had all come back from the mountains late the previous night to avoid the holiday traffic and the new snowstorm. Julian fixed spaghetti for dinner, which is one of my favorites. In the evening PBS was having a fundraiser, so we watched a DVD of the movie Across the Universe. I first saw it in Houston with Liz and Sean. I picked up several new things this time, especially when I watched it again with the writer’s commentary turned on. I did not realize that Bono played the Ken Kesey character, nor did I realize that Joe Cocker sang one of the songs in three different makeups. I give the movie 4.6 stars. I was surprised at how moved I was again.

Message 905

Yesterday I watched Cal lose to Washington on the last play of the game. I also watched Stanford obliterate Oregon State. I then watched the first period of the Sharks vs. Edmonton. I later saw on the news that the Sharks won. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Ghost Writer. It was directed and partly written by Roman Polanski. Like all of his movies, it was quite good. It was a thriller set in modern times, in which the former British Prim Minister is accused of war crimes. I give it 4.2 stars.

Message 904

Mimi and I met Helen and Jim at Starbucks this morning. Helen’s daughter Jodi and her husband Aaron, and their baby Emily (18 months old) were in town from Seattle, so they joined us too. Yesterday Jason brought Melanie and Caroline down to visit. He fixed the problem I have been having with my scanner and he fixed the problem we had getting Mimi’s laptop to connect to our home network. Afterward we all went to Ten Fu for dinner. After Washington Week was over, Mimi and I watched a DVD of the Chinese movie Ghosts. It was terrible. I could never make sense of what was going on. I give it 0.5 stars.

Message 903

Yesterday Mimi and I went out for Thanksgiving dinner. She left San Jose early so we could get to Harry’s Hoffbrau in Redwood City. When we got there about 4:30 PM, the parking lot was full and a line of people were standing in the cold to get in. We decided to try somewhere else, so we ended up at Scotts in Town and Country Village where they were also serving the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It was very good. When we got home it was early, so we watched two movies on DVDs. The first was Uncovered, made in 1994. It was a thriller/mystery. Kate Beckinsale played a restorer of old paintings who is working on a picture of a chess game. It must have been her first movie. It was very good. I give it 4 stars. The second movie was Two Moon Junction. It was much better than I expected. It was about a rich southern belle who skips out on her wedding to run off with a carnival worker. I give it 3.6 stars.

Message 902

Yesterday I worked on my memoirs and read on my Kindle.In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie 13 Ghosts. It was terrible. I give it 0.4 stars. After the movie I watched the third period of the Sharks game. They beat Chicago 5-2. It was a hard-fought game, but the Sharks rose to the occasion.

Message 901

Yesterday I read Science, worked on my memoirs, and read on my Kindle. Mimi and I went to Sizzler for dinner. I n the evening we watched a DVD of the movie Goya’s Ghosts. It was based on part of the real life story of the Spanish painter and the Inquisition. I give it four stars.

Message 900

Yesterday I worked some on my memoirs and read some on my Kindle. Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Ghost Lake. It was a pretty silly scary movie, but it did have a couple of nude scenes. I give it 1.6 stars. I also watched the second half of the John Lennon production on PBS. This part was all documentary footage about his life in New York City. Afterward I watched a documentary about the influence of the Beatles on Russia. It made me think that Rock ‘n Roll had more to do with the collapse of the Soviet empire than Regan did.

Message 899

It was a big letdown for me yesterday to watch the Raiders and 49ers not only lose but look pathetic in the process. In the evening Mimi and I had dinner at Sultana. We both had the Salmon Kabob. It was good, as always. Afterward we watched 60 Minutes on CBS, the a Nature show about leopards on PBS and finally the first part of Lennon Naked on Masterpiece Contemporary. The second part is tonight. Yesterday I also worked some on my memoirs and read some more on my Kindle.

Message 898

Yesterday I had lunch with Julian and Beech at El Cerrito, and afterward I did my Safeway shopping. I also finished reading The Economist and watched the Sharks get shut out by Columbus 0-3, with Nash getting the hat trick. I am looking forward today to watching the Raiders in the morning and the 49ers in the afternoon. I hope they both win.

Message 897

Helen and Jim are not available, so no Starbucks this week. Yesterday I read about half of the economist. I also went in the hot tub for the first time in a long time. It has turned cold, so it felt good. I went in before the rain started. This is our first winter storm. I also wrote another page of my memoirs.

Message 896

Yesterday I watched the Sharks lose to Dallas in overtime. It was the same story as the day before against Colorado. They were ahead by two goals in the middle of the third period and then they lost the game in overtime. At least they got one point for each game, but it does not bode well for the playoffs again. Last night Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Smart People. It was a well done movie about troubled people with a good cast. It was not pleasant to watch Dennis Quaid play a jerk, but Ellen Page played his troubled daughter. It was her best performance since Juno, and it was filmed before Juno. It was filmed at Carnegie Melon University, which I have always known about but I have never seen, so that was interesting. I give it 3.6 stars.

Message 895

I just got back from Heidi’s Pies. Vanessa and Annie joined Reggie and Mimi and me. Annie was real good this time, and she ate a good breakfast. Last night Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Remember Me. It had a great cast including Chris Cooper and Pierce Brosman as supporting characters. It was about troubled young people from dysfunctional families. I get impatient with people behaving badly, but this one has a twist that the male lead gets killed in the 9-11 attack. I give it 2.8 stars.

Message 894

Yesterday Mimi and I had dinner at Sizzler. Afterward we watched a DVD of the movie Nights in Rodanthe. I thought it might be OK starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane, but it was not. I give it 2.1 stars.

Message 893

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist and Science. Mimi and I went out to dinner at a Vietnamese Restaurant with the Morrills and the Ariagnos. After we came home, we watched a DVD of the movie The Other Man. It had a good cast with Liam Neeson and Laura Linney, but it was hard to make any sense of the plot until the end by which time I had ceased caring. I give it two stars.

Message 892

Yesterday I read about half of The Economist and watched the 49ers beat the Rams. It was a great game that had to be won in overtime. The new quarterback for the 49ers makes all the difference. I am sorry it had to be Julie, Ethan, and Alex’s team, but there can be only one winner. After the game Mimi went to Sundance and had the prime rib. In the evening we watched a DVD of the Clint Eastwood movie The Outlaw Josey Wales. I think it is Clint Eastwood’s best movie. I give it five stars.

Message 891

Yesterday Mimi and I joined Helen and Jim for coffee at Starbucks. At noon Vanessa came over so I could help her with a booklet she is writing and drawing pictures for Samaritan House. We then went to Beech’s soccer game. They lost 3-6. It was the last game of the season, so after the game we went to a frozen yogurt place for the team party. After the party, we went to a pizza place in San Mateo for dinner. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie The Golden Coach. Like The River, it was directed by Jean Renoir. It was an elaborate production in color and costumes, and an entertaining farce. I give it 3 stars.

Message 890

Yesterday Vanessa and I took Deli sandwiches to Nealon Park and had lunch with Beech and Annie. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie The River. It was based on a book by Rumer Godden and it was directed by Jean Renior, who was the son of the famous painter. It was beautifully photographed in India in Technicolor. I give it 5 stars.

Message 889

Yesterday I got quite a bit more done on my memoirs. I have finally left Alaska and now have written about 130 pages. There are quite a few pictures in it too, but fewer than one per page. Last night I watched the Sharks beat the New York Islanders in an overtime shootout. It is discouraging to have the Sharks have so much trouble beating a team that has lost the last nine games in a row.

Message 888

I just got back from Heidi's Pies. Mimi and I joined Henry and Reggie. Reggie took Henry to SFO after breakfast so Henry can fly back to Washington to take care of his relative. Vanessa did not join us because Beech was out of school for the holiday. Last night Mimi and I watched a DVD of the Italian movie Nights of Cabiria. I think it is Fellini's best film except for La Strada. I first saw it in 1958 on 45th Street when Betsy and I were living near Times Square in NYC. I give it 4 stars. It has an upbeat message in spite of the tragic story.

Message 887

Yesterday I took my Sienna in for its 100,000-mile servicing. I was a little late since it now has 103,000 miles on it. It is still running great. I hope it can go to at least 200,000 miles. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the German movie The Tin Drum. It is based on a famous book written by Gunter Grass, but I have not read it. It is an allegory about the Nazi period in Germany. It is often farcical, but it succeeds because it paints such a good picture of the lower-middle class in Germany in that period. The tragedy of World War 2 is presented as what happens when the lower middle class takes power and foists its infantile and absurd ideas on the world. I give the movie 3.5 stars because it is not easy to watch.

Message 886

Yesterday I went to Los Gatos in the afternoon to celebrate Ellie's birthday with Vanessa and her kids. Ellie is seven years old now and in the first grade. Thus, in a few days it will be seven years since Sally died. Time flies. We all had dinner at Live Oak Kitchen and afterwards went to Sweet Retreat for ice cream, where we gave Ellie her presents. Both Ellie and Beech asked for quarters for the junk machines instead of ice cream. A good time was had by all.

In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the Chinese movie The House of Flying Daggers. It is a martial arts movie comparable to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. The filming and scenery were absolutely beautiful. I give it four stars.

Message 885

Yesterday I watched the Vikings beat the Cardinals in Arizona in overtime. I was glad to see Arizona lose, because if the 49ers ever get their act together they will need a better record than Arizona. Also, I like to see Brett Favre win. I then watched the Raiders beat the Chiefs, again in overtime. The Raiders have gotten their act pretty well together now, even if they did lose to the 49ers. In the late afternoon Mimi and I went to San Mateo and had dinner with Julian, Vanessa, and the kids. In the evening I watched Sherlock Holmes on Masterpiece Mystery.

Message 884

Yesterday I drove down to Los Gatos and watched Ellie's soccer game and then Caroline's soccer game. Jason and Susan are doing heroic work with the coaching. Afterward we had lunch at Live Oak Kitchen. In the late afternoon I watched Stanford beat Arizona in football. It looks like Oregon will be the only team to beat them this year. In the evening I watched the Sharks beat Tampa Bay 5-2 in hockey. Joe Thornton has been suspended by the league for two games because of a questionable call by the NHL. In the game against St. Louis he stepped out of the penalty box and was run into by a Blues player, who went down and stayed down for a long time. Joe was given a game misconduct penalty, and the Sharks lost the game 0-2, with the second goal being scored later by the player who supposedly was hurt so badly he could not get up for a long time. How could he have been well enough to re-enter the game and score a goal a few minutes later? I suppose Ethan and Julie and Alex have a different view of this incident. Anyway, I got most of The Economist read yesterday too.

Message 883

Mimi and I met Vanessa and Annie at Starbucks this morning. Helen and Jim were volunteering for the women's NCAA golf tournament at Stanford, so they could not join us. Last night Mimi was not feeling well, so she went to bed early and I read some more on my Kindle. I am about a quarter of the way through The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo now.

Message 882

Yesterday I watched the Sharks lose to St. Louis 0-2. The last two years were such downers when they had the best record in the NHL and then fizzled out in the playoffs, that I find it hard to take them seriously now. I guess the Giants are the only success we will be able to enjoy. The Warriors seem like they may be more competitive in the NBA this year, but I will have to wait and see before I pay too much attention to them. The Raiders are sold out this week, so I will get to watch them play for a change. The 49ers have a bye this week.

Last night Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie made in Manila called Oh My Ghost. It was a silly but dark comedy. I thought it very amateurish, so I give it 1.3 stars.

Message 881

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies. There were 5 of us at the table today since Henry is back in town for this week and Vanessa was able to join us. Last night I watched PBS shows about new information about an Egyptian Tomb and The Big Apple Circus. I also read some more on my Kindle.

Message 880

I read the NY Times this morning before writing this message, so I would know the election results. I am proud that California mostly did the right thing. In particular they voted for Brown for governor and Boxer for senator. They also voted against the Texas oil ballot measure to repeal of green emission standards, they voted for reducing the majority to pass the state budget to a simple majority instead of two-thirds, and they voted to keep redistricting out of the hands of elected representatives. Pot legalization lost, but it is already non-criminal on the state level. It is a relief to me that the election is now over and I can stop fretting about the extent to which insanity is prevailing. At least we still control the senate and Obama is still president. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Yesterday Joshua came over to get my advice on how to vote on the state propositions and to watch the Sharks game. Unfortunately the Sharks lost 0-1 to Minnesota. Mimi and I went to Avanti Pizza for dinner. Afterward we watched a DVD of the Philippians' movie The Spirit in the Glass. It is the first time I have seen a movie from that country. It was strange to hear them speak their own language with so many English words and phrases thrown in. The movie was terrible though. I give it 1.4 stars.

Message 879

The Giants won the World Series! It is amazing. After all these years of them disappointing me, when I quit paying attention to them, they come out of nowhere and do it decisively. I did not even pay attention to the playoffs until the last game against Philadelphia. I then watched all of the games against Texas, and by the end of the Series I had gotten to know the players pretty well. After the game Mimi and I watched a DVD of the German movie called Ghosts (in English). It was terrible. It was mostly about two teenaged girls, but the main adult female role was played by a French actress with the last name Basler. Anyway it was mostly incomprehensible, and Mimi was disappointed because it had nothing to do with ghosts. I give it one star.

Message 878

Yesterday was a good day for Bay Area sports. The 49ers beat Denver in London; the Raiders beat Seattle, although the game was blacked out here because some tickets were unsold; and the Giants beat Texas to go ahead 3-1 in the World Series. After the baseball game was over, I watched a Nature show on PBS about the thousands of pythons that are taking over Florida. It was amazing to see a python eat a ten-foot long alligator, and also to see an even bigger gator eat a python. I then watched the new Sherlock Holms episode on Masterpiece Mystery, and finally I read some more of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I am in the middle of Chapter 2 now.

Message 877

I was sorry to see the Giants lose yesterday, but I guess it is not realistic for them to win then all. I hope it goes better today. I am watching the 49ers play Denver in London as I write this. The 49ers lead 3-0 in the second quarter. Last night Mimi and I watched Rain Man on PBS. I had seen it when it was in the theater years ago. I know a lot more about autism now, and I think Dustin Hoffman did a good job of acting, but I did not think it was a movie that was much fun to watch. I give it three stars.

Message 874

Helen and Jim could not make it for coffee this morning, so Mimi and I did our weekly Safeway shopping and then had breakfast at El Cerrito. After the Friday PBS shows, we watched a DVD of the French movie The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. It came out in 1964, but I had never seen it. I did not realize that it was an opera. The colors in the sets were very vivid, everyone in the cast was beautiful, and the story was very good. I give it five stars.

Message 874

I just got back from attending the Halloween Party at Beech's school. Vanessa and Beech made me a costume so I could be Dumbledore. A lot of the kids thought I was a real wizard. Yesterday I worked some more on my memoirs, and read the new Science, which came on Thursday this week instead of Friday or Saturday as usual. In the late afternoon I watched the Giants shut out the Texas Rangers to take a 2-0 lead in the World Series. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the French movie Indochine. The scenery and Catherine Deneuve were beautiful, and it was an epic representation of the French experience in Vietnam, but it was a sad and tragic story, in accordance with the reality. I give it 3.4 stars.

Message 874

I just got back from attending the Halloween Party at Beech's school. Vanessa and Beech made me a costume so I could be Dumbledore. A lot of the kids thought I was a real wizard. Yesterday I worked some more on my memoirs, and read the new Science, which came on Thursday this week instead of Friday or Saturday as usual. In the late afternoon I watched the Giants shut out the Texas Rangers to take a 2-0 lead in the World Series. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the French movie Indochine. The scenery and Catherine Deneuve were beautiful, and it was an epic representation of the French experience in Vietnam, but it was a sad and tragic story, in accordance with the reality. I give it 3.4 stars.

Message 873

Yesterday I did some more work on my memoirs. Vanessa called and told me that Annie now has an imaginary playmate named Alex, and she wondered if this was normal. I told her it was completely normal, that she was just practicing to be an adult. I told her that I had an imaginary playmate when I was young named Charles Barr. I do not remember it, but my mother told me about him. Vanessa wondered where the name came from. Maybe it is significant that her father's best friends is named Alex, or that she has a cousin named Alex. I have no idea where the name Charles Barr came from either, so it is not really important.

I watched the Giants beat Texas in the first game of the world series, and was delighted with how it turned out. II finished reading this week's Science too. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the Argentine movie The Secret in Their Eyes. I had seen it before in the theater. At the time I gave it only three stars, but on second viewing I think it deserves more like 3.8 stars. It is a complex story about writing and it is confusing at first what is real and what is imaginary.

Message 872

Yesterday I did some more work on my Memoirs. Mimi and I went to Sizzler for dinner. In the evening we watched the PBS Nova show about the rescue of the miners in Chile. After that we watched A DVD of the movie My One and Only, which was the title of the most successful song written by George Hamilton's father, who was a band leader. In fact the whole movie is the story of George Hamilton's teen years. His mother was played by Renee Zellwager, and she is always good. I have always been rather contemptuous of George Hamilton, but I did not know much about him. The movie is much better than I expected. I give it 3 stars.

Last night Charlie Rose interviewed Noomi Rapace, the Swedish actress who played the girl with the dragon tattoo in all three movies. I think now I will order the three Stieg Larsson books for my Kindle. I saw the original movie in the theater, and I liked it, but I have not yet seen the other two.

Message 871

Yesterday I got some more done on my memoirs. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the French movie Coco Before Chanel. It was very well done and was espeially interesting because it was a true story. I give it four stars.

Message 870

Yesterday I watched NFL games. Again the 49ers blew a game they should have won against Carolina, but the Raiders completely demolished Denver. I went to San Mateo for the Sunday family dinner with Julian and Vanessa and the kids. Julian made chili and cornbread. In the evening I watched a Nature show on PBS about crows and the new Sherlock Holms on Masterpiece Mystery. I also finished reading The Economist.

Message 869

I met Helen and Jim and Joan at Starbucks yesterday. Dave was too sick to come. Mimi was in San Jose dealing again with her mom. I read most if The Economist. In the late afternoon I watched the Giants win the NLCS. It was a close game. The Giants won 3-2, but Philadelphia had the bases loaded with two outs and a full count in the bottom of the ninth when they won with a called strike. After the game Larry and Judi called and asked if I would like to go to the late movie with them. We saw Inside Job. It was about the financial collapse which I was already pretty familiar with, but it was nice to see it laid out and summarized. I give it five stars. Mimi was is San Jose watching a Vietnamese movie with her friend.

Message 868

Yesterday Mimi and I went to dinner and a movie with the Morrills and the Ariagnos. I had the Osobucco, which was excellent. We ate at a place a few doors away from the theater and saw the movie Hereafter. It was not up to Matt Daemon and Clint Eastwood's usual standard. I give it 2 stars.

Message 867

I forgot to mention in yesterday's message that I went to PAMF on Wednesday and met with my dermatologist. She froze a few spots and said we can now switch to yearly appointments instead of every six months. I also repeated my blood test because my doctor was concerned that I am slightly anemic. I am sure it is not important though, because my blood tests have been coming out that way for years. I also picked up a new supply of antibiotic saline solutions while I was there.

Yesterday I made progress on my memoirs, and I watched the Giants lose to Philadelphia in the late afternoon. It was a good game, but the breaks went the wrong way. Now on Saturday we have to win on their home field. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Adam. It was a low-budget, independent file with a cast that was quite good but totally unknown to me. It was a boy-meets-girl story but with the twist that the boy (actually a 29-year-old man) has Asperger's Syndrome. Because people in our family have some of these same types of behavior, I was very interested in it. I recommend that you all might like to see it. I give it 5 stars.

Message 866

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Mimi and Reggie. Vanessa and Annie stopped in to say Hi, but they could not stay to eat. Julian is in New York this week, so Vanessa is busy managing the two kids. The Bay Area is excited about the Giants prospects for winning the Pennant. They now only need to win one game out f three. Last night Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie A Serious Man. The Cohen Brothers refer to it as their Jew movie. I did not think as highly of it as with their other movies because the customs seem so incomprehensible to me. I give it 3.5 stars.

Message 865

Yesterday Mimi and I had dinner at Sizzler. In the evening we watched a DVD of the movie Avatar. You have all probably seen it, so you know it is a fun movie to watch. It was good for me to see it on my TV because I can not see 3-D with my eye problem. The plot seemed pretty much like the cartoon kids movie Fern Gully, but the appeal of the movie was the beautiful scenery and the imaginative life-forms. I give it four stars.

Message 864

Yesterday I finished reading The Triumph of the Sun by Wilbur Smith on my Kindle. Like all of his books, it was great fun to read. Last night I voted my absentee ballot. I voted for Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer and for the decriminalization of personal pot. Now I have at least done my bit for the sake of sanity. I also watched some of the Monday Night Football game, but it was not very interesting.

Message 863

Yesterday I watched the 49ers beat the Raiders. It was not a pretty game, but at least one of our local teams won. Mimi and I went to Cooks Seafood for dinner, in lieu of our usual Sunday family dinner. Julian and Vanessa had taken the kids to a museum, so it was a chance for me to treat them for a change. In the evening I watched a PBS show about elephants and another in the Wallander series on Masterpiece Mystery.

Message 862

Yesterday I had lunch at Una Mas with Vanessa and Annie. She had been visiting a friend in Menlo Park and picked me up afterward. Beech called me in the afternoon to tell me his team won their first soccer game 3-2. Mimi and I had dinner at Ten Fu. In the evening I watched the last two innings of the Giants game against Philadelphia. I was glad to see them win. I also watched some of the Sharks home opener, which unfortunately they lost 2-4. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Immortal Beloved. It is a biopic about Beethoven made in 1994. It was filmed in Europe so the locations were very good. Beethoven's music was the soundtrack, so that was wonderful. Because nobody knows all the details of his life, the plot was somewhat fictional, but I give the movie 3.7 stars.

Message 861

Yesterday I met Vanessa at Starbuck's for a nice visit, which is just as well because Helen and Jim had to go to San Francisco this morning. Last night I watched the Friday PBS shows and read a good bit of The Economist. Mimi had to stay in San Jose because She had trouble with her car and had to have it fixed.

Message 860

Yesterday Mimi and I went in the hot tub for the first time in several weeks. In the evening we tried to watch a DVD of the movie Evening. It had a very good cast, but the story was so silly that we could not even finish it. I finally quit about half way through. I suppose it was designed for women only. I give it one star.

Message 859

I just got back from Heidi's Pies where Mimi and I had breakfast with Reggie. Afterward we stopped by Vanessa's house and gave her the Blue Angels picture that Reggie had autographed for Beech. As we were leaving her cleaning women showed up. Las night Mimi and I watched a DVD of the Canadian movie Map of the Human Heart. It was about Eskimo and Indian half-breeds with TB trying to adjust to modern culture before, during, and after World War 2. I give it 3.8 stars.

Message 858

Yesterday I worked on my memoirs and read on my Kindle. Mimi and I went to Sizzler for dinner. In the evening we watched a DVD of the Merchant Ivory movie The White Countess. It had a great cast with Raif Finnes, Natasha Richardson, and Vanessa Redgrave. It was set in China just before World War 2. I give it four stars.

Message 857

Yesterday I did laundry, worked on my memoirs, and read on my Kindle. In the evening Mimi and I watched Part 2 of the French Lady Chatterly. I did not realize that the Government took off the Columbus Day holiday until I found there was no mail in my box. I was glad the Giants won the series against Atlanta, and I was sorry to see Brett Favre lose to the Jets.

Message 856

Yesterday I went to PAMF and got my flu shot. I also finished reading The Economist and Science. Mimi was able to come home early to come with me to the family dinner in San Mateo. It was the first time that Julian, Annie, and Maureen were able to meet Mimi and vice versa. Julian grilled hamburgers, and hot dogs and Vanessa made salad and cooked a cherry pie. In the evening I watched the new episode of Wallander on Masterpiece Mystery.

Message 855

Yesterday I got some more work done on my memoirs. I also read quite a bit of The Economist. At 5 PM I watched the Stanford/USC game on ABC. It was a very good game that Stanford came from behind and won on the last play of the game. I was surprised that USC was as good as the were. In the evening Mimi and I watched a Netflix DVD of Part One of the uncut version of the French movie Lady Chatterly. It is the same movie we watched a couple of nights ago but with more exposition and background scenes included which makes it nearly four hours long.

Message 854

Mimi and I met Helen and Jim at Starbucks this morning. Last night we watched a DVD of breaking and Entering. About half way through I( realized I had seen it before. I notice on my blog that I have it rated as 3.5 stars. That seems about right. It has a good cast, but the behavior of some of the characters seems incomprehensible at times.

Message 853

I forgot to mention yesterday that we did not go to Heidi's Pies because Reggie had breakfast with the Blue Angels, who are in town for Fleet Week. I worked a little on my memoirs, and I read a lot more on my Kindle. I am 49 percent finished now. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. The movie had a very good cast and was well written, but the subject was too unpleasant for my taste. I do not like movies about dysfunctional people dragging themselves and their families and friends down with guilt trips and erratic behavior. I give it 3.9 stars.

Message 852

Yesterday I worked on my memoirs and read on my Kindle. Mimi and I went to Sizzler for dinner. In the evening we watched a DVD of the movie 9 Songs. It was a pretty simple minded movie about a boy and a girl who go to rock concerts every night and have sex during the day. I give it 2 stars.

Message 851

Yesterday I worked on my memoirs and read on my Kindle, as well as watching Charlie Rose, The News Hour, BBC World News, and Tavis Smiley on PBS. Also I had a nice video phone conversation with Liz in her office on Skype. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the French movie Lady Chatterly. It was strange to see the D. H. Lawrence characters speaking French, but it was quite well done. I give it three stars.

Message 850

Vanessa came down yesterday and met me at Starbucks. She says she is recovered enough now to resume our Sunday family dinners. In the evening Mimi and I watched two DVDs from Netflix. The first was a sumptuous Chinese movie that came out about five years ago called Curse of the Golden Flower. I give it four stars. The second was a French movie that came out in 1985 called Rendez-Vous. It starred Juliette Binoche when she was very young. I give it 3.5 stars.

Message 849

Yesterday I watched the 49ers lose to Atlanta on the last play of the game, so they blew another one the should have won. The Raiders game was blacked out, but I saw later on the news that they lost. In the evening I watched 60 minutes, and then a Nature show on PBS about Black Mambas followed by a new Masterpiece Mystery in the Wallander series. I also read some more on my Kindle, so I am now 25 percent through the book.

Message 848

Yesterday I had lunch with Julian and Vanessa and the kids after the soccer game. In the afternoon I finished The Economist and Science. I also watched the Stanford game, which was quite good. Stanford played very well, but Oregon came from behind and won decisively to show they deserve to be ranked at least number four in the nation. During the half, Mimi and I ate at El Cerrito and did the Safeway shopping.

Message 847

Helen and Jim could not make it to Starbucks this morning and Mimi is at the nursing home helping her mother through another crisis, so I am going to San Mateo to watch Beech's soccer game. Julian got back from London yesterday afternoon, so he will be able to coach. Yesterday I read some more on my Kindle, and in the evening I read a good bit of The Economist.

Message 846

I just noticed that I gave the title Moon Dog to the Netflix DVD when it should have been Ghost Dog. It was named properly in the list of movies. I have now edited the text of message 845. Yesterday I read some more on my Kindle, and last night Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie made in Argentina called Don't Look Down. It was a strange movie about ghosts and sex. I give it 3 stars.

Message 845

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Reggie and Mimi. Henry is back east again, and Vanessa called and said she could not make it. Reggie said he will not be able to be there next week, so we may just skip it then. Last night Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Ghost Dog. It was an unusual movie starring Forest Whitaker, where he plays a professional killer who lives by the old Samurai code. I give it 3.3 stars. I am up to 13 percent now on my Kindle book.

Message 844

Yesterday I started reading the Wilbur Smith book I bought for my Kindle. I thought I had read all of his books, but this is a new one. According to the number at the bottom of the page on my Kindle, I have now read about 11 percent of it. We tried to watch a movie last night, but the disk was cracked and would not play, so I have sent it back to Netflix and requested that they send me a new copy. Our heat wave is starting to break, but it will not be all gone until tomorrow.

Message 843

I just got back from PAMF where I picked up new injectable antibiotic supplies. We are in the middle of a heat wave, but so far I have managed with opening the place up to cool off at night and closing it up again at dawn. Last night Mimi and I watched the British comedy Cold Comfort Farm. I give it 3.9 stars.

Message 842

Yesterday I finished reading Science and watched two NFL games. I watched the 49ers embarrass themselves against the Chiefs and I watched the Raiders blow their game against the Cardinals. It was a downer to watch such poor performances. In the evening I watched another Inspector Lewis Episode on Masterpiece Mystery.

Message 841

I just got back from having breakfast at El Cerroto's. I finished reading The Economist yesterday. It has been quite a while since I finished it on Saturday. Last night I watched a DVD of the British movie The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain. It was comedy, but not very good in spite of starring Hugh Grant. It was not so much bad as boring. I give it 2.6 stars.

Message 840

I just got back from meeting Helen and Jim at Starbucks. They just got back from their vacation in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Mimi could not join us this morning because she has to accompany her mother to the hospital for x-rays, etc. I got a fair bit more done on my memoirs yesterday.

Message 839

I got quite a bit done on my memoirs yesterday. It's nice to be able to work on my new computer now. Last night Mimi and I watched a Netflix DVD of the movie Chloe. It had a very good cast with Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson. It was filmed in Toronto, and the architecture was so modern it took me a while to figure out where it was. It was a psycho-thriller, but it was a little too quirky to be believable, so I give it only 3.8 stars.

Message 838

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies. Reggie is in Cabo San Lucas this week, but Henry is in town and brought his neighbor with him. Vanessa also made it this week, so with Mimi we had five at the table. Last night Mimi and I watched the last two episodes of the PBS documentary on the war in Vietnam. It was interesting to see all the stuff that I was not fully aware of at the time.

Message 837

I finished The Economist and started Science yesterday. I also mailed a check for half the rent on Coastal Delight to the Sandbridge Realty for the week of 9-16 July 2011. As you all probably know, it sleeps 22. Yesterday I also watched Beech and Annie for about three hours while Vanessa had an appointment with her dermatologist. The doctor was running late, so I had the kids longer than expected. I tried to take them to a place called Safari Run which Vanessa had planned, but they would have none of it, so I took them home where they had a wonderful time riding their bikes and playing with their neighboring girls. In the evening Mimi and I watched two more episodes of the PBS documentary on the war in Vietnam. We have two more to go on disk 3, and then it will be finished. It is quite good. This morning I took the last of the antibiotic pills for my bladder infection. It seems to be cleared up now.

Message 836

I got quite a bit more read in The Economist, but did not quite finish it. At 5:30 PM I watched the game between the 49ers and the Saints. Joshua came over at half time and brought food from Boston Market. The 49ers did not totally disgrace themselves this time, but they allowed the Saints to win even thought they outplayed them. They lost by letting the Saints kick a field goal on the last play of the game. Afterward the news was over, I was tired so I went to bed early and had a good night's sleep.

Message 835

Yesterday I read about half of The Economist, and watched as much football as I could. The Raiders were blacked out, and the 49ers do not play until tonight, so I mostly watched the Bears beat the Cowboys. Jason called and helped me get the file with my memoirs transferred to my new computer. It will be easier to work on now. I bought Microsoft Office so I could escape the slowness of the old computer. Mimi and I had dinner at The Sizzler in Redwood City. It must be fifteen years or more since I ate there. In the evening we watched 60 Minutes and then the second part of the history of dogs on PBS. I then watched the new Inspector Lewis episode on Masterpiece Mystery.

Message 834

Yesterday Julian came by with Annie and took me to lunch at Una Mas. In the evening Mimi and I tried to have dinner at Sundance, but because of the Stanford football game we could not even get in the parking lot. So we went to the Plaza Hotel in Mountain View. The were having a large Indian wedding, so we were part of a colorful crowd. They no longer have the early bird special on weekends, but we had good steaks from the regular menu. My blood test showed that I am a little anemic, so I figured I should eat more red meat. I will try to fine some iron pills when I go to Safeway today. In the evening we watched a couple of more episodes from Disk 2 of the PBS documentary on the Vietnam War.

Message 833

I am still improving health wise, so I think my new pills are working. Yesterday I bought Microsoft Office for my HP computer so I can use Word to work on my memoirs on my new computer. I need Jason to help me get the file transferred over the local area network. It would be easy if both computers had Windows 7, but the old Dell has Windows XP Professional, which was pretty good in its day, but it is now obsolete. I have found it is not really convenient to work on my memoirs in the guest room.

Last night Mimi and I watched Disk I of of an old PBS documentary about the war in Vietnam. This first disk covers up to the assassination of President Kennedy, shortly after he agreed to the assassination of the President of Vietnam and his brother.

Message 832

I am continuing with my pills, and I continue to feel better. I heard from my doctor that my blood tests show that I am anemic. She has scheduled to have me repeat the test in a month. Last night I watched to opera La Rondine on PBS. It is by Puccini, but I had never heard of it. The cast was very good though.

Message 831

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Mimi and Reggie. Vanessa was too busy to make it, but Mimi and I stopped by her house and said Hi on the way home. Last night Mimi and I watched a DVD of a documentary movie about the Vietnam war called Long Time Coming. I give it 3.5 stars. I have had four pills now and they seem to be helping.

Message 830

My fever came back again yesterday at 5 PM. It seems I am on a regular schedule, but this time I took Ibuprpphin right away and within a couple of hours the fever had broken. I got the results of my urinalysis online, but I will nee to contact my doctor before I know what they mean. I am still waiting for the results of my blood test. Chris and Mary called me yesterday so I have gone ahead and reserved Coastal Delight fro the week of 9-16 July 2011.

Message 829

My fever came back about 5 PM yesterday, so I went to bed. I feel OK today. I should hear the lab results tomorrow or the next day. Mary called me this morning and told me Sandbridge will be the week after the 4th of July this year. I think we will stay in Coastal delight.

Message 828

I just got back from PAMF where at Liz's request I had a urinalysis and a complete blood count (CBC). She is concerned that my recurrent fever may be a sign of a bladder infection. I should know the results in a few days. Yesterday afternoon Joshua came over and brought Mexican food and watched the 49er disgrace themselves by losing to Seattle. In the morning the Raiders did likewise against Tennessee. So much for my impression that they were both going to do better this year. Last night Mimi and I watched a Nature programs about the history of dogs and then another Inspector Lewis episode on PBS.

Message 827

Mimi and I just got back from having breakfast at El Cerrito. She is now on her way to San Jose. Last night we watched The Treasure of Sierra Madre on PBS. It is still a great movie.

Message 826

I am late getting this message off today because I just got back from San Mateo watching Beech's first soccer game and having lunch afterward with him and Julian, who are coaches. Beech was by far the smallest on his team, but he played very well. His team actually lost, but they all did OK. Last night Mimi and I went to dinner and a movie with the Morrills and the Ariagnos. We ate at a Brazilian place in Palo A lot that was buffet and all you could eat. The movie was Mao's Last Dancer, based on a true story about a peasant boy who was taken at age eleven and trained to be a classical ballet dancer. He defected to America (in Houston , Texas) and became a world famous dancer. I suppose Liz and Bill must have noticed the story in their local paper at the time. I give it 3.6 stars.

Message 825

Yesterday in the afternoon my fever came back and I was so cold I had to go to bed and get under the covers to stay warm. It passed though and this morning I feel fine. I wonder what it is. It is strange to have a fever but no other symptoms.

Message 824

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Reggie and Mimi. Vanessa could not make it because she was busy at Beech's school. I worked some more on my memoirs yesterday. Last night Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Regret to Inform, a documentary about Vietnam. I give it 3.5 stars.

Message 823

Yesterday I finished reading Science and worked some more on my memoirs. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. It had Francis McDormand and Amy Adams, but it was pretty silly, so I give it only 2.6 stars.

Message 822

Yesterday afternoon I went to San Mateo for Annie's birthday party. It was just family, but Annie's school starts this week, so Vanessa is going to pass out invitations at school for her kid party to be held soon. I finished reading The Economist and started Science.. I also worked some more on my memoirs. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the Vietnamese movie The Owl and the Sparrow. It was quite a nice feel-good movie that gave a good view of modern-day Vietnam. Lots of people riding motor-scooters. I give it four stars. Mimi wants me to mention that she got my fever too, and now everyone at the nursing home has had it too.

Message 821

Happy Birthday to Annie who today is three years old, and Happy Labor Day to everybody. I finished most of The Economist yesterday but I still have a few pages to go. I have worked some more on my memoirs for the last few days, so it has not been entirely abandoned. Last night I watched the new Inspector Lewis episode on Masterpiece Mystery on PBS. Ginny and Andrine called me yesterday for a nice chat. Andrine and Joe are in Atlanta, and are about to go on a cruise. I think Chris and Linda are on a cruise now. I am glad to be retired from cruising.

Message 820

I am so glad to be feeling normal again. Sickness is a bummer. Last night Mimi and I were picked up by Larry and Judi to join the Ariagnos, including Marci's sister Ellie for dinner and a movie. We ate at a Turkish place around the corner from the theater in Redwood City, and also across the street from the Vietnamese place we ate the previous Saturday. The food was very good. I had the salmon, but the lamb shank looked like it would have been good too. The movie was George Clooney in The American. It was very well made, and the photography was beautiful in Italy and Sweden, and the supporting actresses were all beautiful and looked good nude, but the story was just another James-Bond-type of thriller with lots of double-crossing-agents, so I give it only 3.7 stars.

Message 819

I feel a whole lot better today. Mimi and I just got back from having coffee at Starbucks with Helen and Jim and Joan and Dave. Last night we watched a DVD of the German movie Vitus. It is about a child prodigy struggling to make a life for himself in spite of his handicap of being smarter than all of the adults as well as the children in his world. Among other things he is musically talented, and I especially like movies based on music. It reminds me somewhat of the movie August Rush. I give it four stars.

Message 818

I spent most of the day in bed yesterday, some napping and a lot of TV-watching. I had a can of clam chowder for lunch, but I was not hungry for dinner. In the evening I watched the San Francisco Opera production of Mozart's Don Giovanni. It was a whole new cast from the copy I have, but I thought it was well done. I had a good breakfast of oatmeal this morning. We are having our third hot day in a row, but I think it may cool down by tomorrow. I hope maybe to be able to take a shower this afternoon.

Message 817

I had a fever last night, but I feel a lot better this morning. However, I decided I was a little too shaky to go to Heidi's Pies, so I called Vanessa and asked her to convey to Reggie and Henry that I would see them next week. Yesterday was Beech's first day back at school. He is starting first grade now. I picked him up at 12:45 PM and took him to lunch. There were no spaces in the McDonald's parking lot, so I took him to Taco Bell. We each got a soft beef taco, nachos, and a mango smoothie.

Message 816

I just got back from refilling my prescription for inject able antibiotics from PAMF. When I got home, I realized they had neglected to give me the two syringes. I will just estimate half of the ampoule to mix with the saline solution. Last night Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Greenburg. This movie has gotten so much publicity, like an hour on Charlie Rose, that I was disappointed that it was so bad. I was very impressed with the performance of Greta Gerwig, but the plot was too unappealing. I give it 2.5 stars.

Message 815

Julian is in New York this week so Vanessa is having to manage on her own. Yesterday I took Beech and Annie to the Redwood City McDonalds with a play area from about 12:45 PM to 2:45 PM. I had the one-third-lb Angus bacon-cheese burger and the kids had Happy Meals. I ate all of mine, but they barely touched theirs. Last night Mimi and I watched the French movie Home. It was a very strange movie about a family that has lived for ten years next to a freeway that is under construction but has not been finished. Suddenly, construction crews show up and finish the work. The freeway becomes heavily travelled and noisy and dangerous to live by. The family tries to stick it out, but become progressively more dysfunctional, and ultimately insane. It is something of an allegory about how people, and animals too, have to adjust to a loss of habitat brought on by change and technology. It is interesting, but I give it only three stars.

Message 814

Yesterday I read a good bit of The Economist. In the evening Mimi and I went to a dinner party at Mary and Eddie Solomon's house. There were ten people in all, including their daughter Justine (who is pregnant) and her husband. Also Dennis and Therese Rohan were there. Mary had cooked lamb, which was very good. Eddie seemed to be doing better with his Parkinson's than the last time I saw him.

Message 813

Yesterday we had breakfast at El Cerrito. Helen and Jim had to take friends to the airport. During the day I worked on getting my computer home-network working the way I want. Eventually Jason guided me by telephone and I managed to get it done. Now my old computer in the guest room is running the SETI program again.

The weather was so cool yesterday that Mimi and I went in the hot tub before dinner. In the evening I watched the pre-season game between the 49ers and Raiders. Both teams look like they should have better records this year. Mimi was not feeling well so she turned in early.

Message 812

Last night Mimi and I went to dinner and a movie with the Morrills and the Ariagnos. The movie was Eat Pray Love with Julia Roberts. I had a good cast, but I thought it was terrible. Marci chose it because she had read the book. I was strictly a chick flick. I give it 2 stars.

Message 811

Last night Mimi and I watched the San Francisco Opera production of Madama Butterfly. It was very good except for the lead singer who was too old, too fat, and not Asian. It was fun to watch it again, but I like the version I have better.

Message 810

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies. Reggie and I were the only ones there this morning. Mimi had another dentist appointment, Henry presumably back in town, but he did not show up. Likewise, Vanessa did not make it. She has both Beech and Annie to take care of. Next week Beech starts school, and the week after that Annie's school starts up again from their summer break. The weather has cooled off again, so I have put in a load of laundry.

Message 809

Yesterday I went with Vanessa and the kids to a beach near Half Moon Bay to get away from the heat. The kids had a good time and I managed to find a bathroom. At first it was predicted to be cool today, but instead it is hot again. Las night Mimi and I watched three more episodes of Nurse Jackie.

Message 808

Yesterday was hot in the Bay Area. It was 95 degrees in Menlo Park. Today is going to be even hotter, but it will cool down by Wednesday. We have been lucky that we have hardly had any hot days this summer. I love it cool. Last night Mimi and I watched three more episodes of Nurse Jackie.

Message 807

Yesterday I watched two pre-season NFL games. I watched Oakland beat Chicago, and then in the evening I watched San Francisco beat the Vikings. It is rare to see both local teams win. I finished reading The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly, the book Ethan gave me. Mimi and I ate dinner in Palo Alto at a nice Vietnamese place called Tamarine on University Avenue.

Message 806

I had a quiet day at home yesterday. I finished The Economist and read quite a bit more of the book Ethan gave me. In the evening Mimi and I watched a couple of more episodes of Nurse Jackie.

Message 805

I just got back from having breakfast at El Cerrito with Mimi. Helen and Jim could not make it to Starbucks this morning. Last night we watched a DVD from Netflix. We watched the first two episodes of Nurse Jackie. It is a comedy with dark overtones about an emergency room nurse starring Edie Falco. It was quite good, so far. If it were a movie, I would give it four stars.

Message 804

I had a quiet day at home yesterday. In the evening Mimi and I watched The Sand Pebbles, an old Steve McQueen movie that I thought Mimi might enjoy because it is set in China. In fact, she did like it. I give it four stars.

Message 803

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Vanessa and Reggie. Mimi could not join us because she had a dentist appointment at 8 AM. Today was Vanessa's first time back since her surgery, so it was her turn to pick up the check. Next week, Henry will be back too from the East Coast, so we should all be back in our routine. Yesterday I finished reading Science, so I am back to what I think of as normal. It was sad to hear from Julie that her died last night after a long struggle with Parkinson's disease.

Message 802

Yesterday I had a quiet day at home. I finished reading The Economist and started Science. ast night Mimi and I went into the hot tub, and afterward watched a DVD of the Chinese movie Temptress Moon again.

Message 802

Yesterday I had a quiet day at home. I finished reading The Economist and started Science. ast night Mimi and I went into the hot tub, and afterward watched a DVD of the Chinese movie Temptress Moon again.

Message 801

Yesterday I took Annie and Beech to Nealon Park to help Vanessa while she had a couple of doctor's appointments. She dropped the kids off in my parking lot about 12:45 PM. She had fixed lunches, but the kids were not interested in eating them. Beech rode his scooter around and around the sidewalk surrounding the park and Annie played with her Polly Pocket stuff. When the ice cream truck came by, the kids went wild and insisted that they had to buy something. What a loathsome racket these ice cream trucks run. Anyway the things they bought mostly melted and made messes until I threw them away. I dropped the kids off at Maureen's, as Vanessa had arranged, and got back home in time to watch The News Hour at 3 PM.

In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Fur. I was an imagined biopic with Nicole Kidman as a photographer I had never heard of. It was strange, but I give it three stars.

Message 800

Yesterday I watched the first half of the pre-season game between to 49ers and the Colts. The 49ers were ahead at halftime, and I later saw on the news that they won the game easily. Of course, pre-season games have limited meaning, but maybe our local team are on their way back to respectability. Vanessa had a swollen face, so she had to go in for an unexpected IV antibiotic treatment so I took Annie to the Redwood City McDonalds with a playground. Julian had taken Beech to a birthday party, and when that was over he brought Beech to join Annie at McDonalds while he went to check on Vanessa. She was OK, so he met me back at my condo and took the kids home. Vanessa was later able to drive herself home. The football game was long since over, so I took a nap for an hour or so.

It was Mimi's birthday, so when she got back from San Jose I took her to Carpachio's for dinner (next door to where Sally used to work).

Message 799

I enjoyed having Annie over yesterday for about two and a half hours. She required my undivided attention for the whole time. She basically plays house. She divides my living room up into areas and designates one parts as her bedroom, where she spreads out her blanket. Every now and then she will go lie down on it and suck her thumb for a few seconds, but she does not want to nap. Another part she calls her dining room and she takes a couple of my placemats and places bowls on them. She clears all the bowls and the candle holder from a table by the window and arranges them on the placemats. She helped me finish off the purple grapes and then started in on the green grapes. She played with my Kindle for a while. She called it her computer. She pushed various buttons, and occasionally pointed out one for me to push. I eventually had to hide it when she was not looking . I was afraid she was going to scratch the screen. When Vanessa came in to pick her up, she thought the place was a disaster, but it was really quite organized. Vanessa insisted on tidying up some, but after they left I had everything back to its original condition.

Message 798

Mimi and I just got back from having coffee at Starbucks with Helen and Jim. Last night we watched a DVD of the movie LA Confidential. Russell Crowe looks so young, it is amazing that it came out only ten years ago. I give it four stars. Vanessa is bringing Annie by for me to watch in a few minutes. Maybe I will take her to the park.

Message 797

I just got back from having coffee at Starbucks with Vanessa and Beech. Vanessa had to take Beech for a speech evaluation at the hospital, so I walked back from Starbucks. Because it is downhill on the way back it is not so hard. I have now read about half of the book that Ethan gave me.

Message 796

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies. It was just Reggie and me. Mimi could not come because she had to be at the nursing home early to meet with her mother's doctor. Vanessa is still recovering from her surgery. She can drive now, but because of that she has to forego her pain meds. Maybe next week she can join us.

Yesterday I ordered a book for my Kindle. I tried to order Abraham Lincoln by Ben Thomas. I have been trying to find this for years in used book stores, but with no luck. Unfortunately, Amazon did not have it either. It has been out of print for over fifty years, so it should be available for them. To test my Kindle, I ordered a Wilbur Smith book. I have probably already read it, but I have forgotten it.

Message 795

Yesterday I read some more of the book Ethan gave me. I also read the instructions for the Kindle. I need to decide on a book to order. Mimi and I finished watching Disk 1 of Bliss. I have watched all of True Blood Season 2 except for a couple of commentaries on the last episode.

Message 794

It was such a pleasant cool morning with thick fog that Mimi and I decided to walk up to Starbuck's for a coffee. It is a good thing I took my hat because by the time we walked back the sun was shining. Last night we watched a few more episodes of the series Bliss. It is OK, but I only give it three stars.

Message 793

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist and read some more of the book Ethan gave me. In the evening Mimi and I watched the first couple of episodes of a new series from Netflix called Bliss.

Message 792

Yesterday I finished watching Disk 4 of True Blood Season 2. In the evening Mimi and I went out to dinner with Larry and Judi and Ron and Marci. Afterward we went back to Ron and Marci's house and watched a DVD of the Japanese movie Depatures. It was the third time I have seen it and Mimi's second time, but it is such a good movie that we all enjoyed it very much. Because it was Marci's 65th birthday, Judi brought a cake from Prolific Oven to celebrate after the movie.

Message 791

I just got back from having coffee at Starbucks with Helen and Jim and Joan and Dave. Mimi could not join us because she had an early appointment with her back doctor in San Jose. Yesterday I started reading The Economist that came in the Friday mail. I also watched two more episodes of True Blood.

Message 790

Yesterday I finished reading both The Economist and Science from last week. I am now ready to start on the new ones that I expect will arrive in the mail today. I even started on the book that Ethan gave me while we were in Tahoe. We have been having nice cool nights with early morning fog for the last several weeks. I love it and think of it as perfect weather, even though it is cooler than usual. I prefer cool to hot.

Message 789

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Mimi and Reggie. Vanessa is still not recovered enough from her surgery to join uns. I hope she will be able to start up again next week. Yesterday I picked Annie up at home and took her to her pre-school at noon. I then drove Vanessa to her hair appointment to have her hair dyed. She still is not able to drive because of the pain pills she is taking. Maureen picked her up from her hair appointment, and a college-girl neighbor picked up Beech and Annie and brought them home. I now have the washing machine going with more laundry. Yesterday I finished reading The Economist from two weeks ago, so today I can start on the one from last week. I will try to get it finished before the new one comes tomorrow.

Message 787

This morning Chris and Linda left about 7:30 AM to pick up Charlie and Kat at her aunt's house and drive to the airport. We had a nice visit and ate at a different restaurant every night. Yesterday it was the Japanese restaurant Gombei. Last night we all watched the three-hour finale of The Bachelorette on ABC to keep Linda company because she is a great fan. I had never heard of the show and will avoid watching any more like it. Today I am running the dishwasher and the washing machine.

Message 786

Yesterday Chris and Linda came with me to watch Annie in Nealon Park while Julian to Beech with him to do the grocery shopping. Chris and Linda and Mimi and I went to Celia's, where the old Fontanna's used to be, for a Mexican-food dinner. Julian was supposed to bring Annie to my place on the way to the hospital fro Beech's surgery (to put new tubes in his ears) this morning, but at about 6:40 AM, while I was getting dressed to go down to the parking lot to get her while he was on his way to the hospitel, he called and said Vanessa felt well enough to watch her, so the let her sleep and I went back to beb.

Message 788

Yesterday after Chris and Linda left I washed and changed their sheets and pillow cases, and got the guest room ready for whoever comes to visit next. I have tabulated all of the people who joined us at the Tahoe reunion. It is shown below:

RPB family : 19 total, including 6 for Jason, 5 for Liz (with Vlad but not Nicole), 3 for Ethan, 3 for Julian, 2 for Jose & me
Cleavers : 14 total, including 5 for Jeanne, 3 for Marty, 2 for Rob & Carson, and 2 for Bill & Lisa and 2 for A & Joe
Davidsons : 14 total, including 5 for Carrie, 4 for Jamie, 3 for Jessie, and 2 for Ginny & Jim
Dahlgrens : 8 total, including 4 for Sarah Jane and 3 for Kirsten, and 1 for Mary
Chris : 4 total, including 2 for Chris and Linda, and 2 for Charlie and Kat
Umbachs : 2 total, for Linda and Walt
Mullens : 2 total for Marilyn and Jay

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overall : 63 people

Message 785

Yesterday I drove back from our great reunion at Tahoe and dropped Kirsten and her two girls off at the Sacramento airport. I finally got home about 1 PM. I went to PAMF and got the materials to start making my antibiotic solution myself. They do not want to mix it themselves anymore, but they are willing to sell me the supplies to make it myself. In the afternoon I did laundry and grocery shopping. Chris and Linda arrived about 4 PM and Mimi returned from San Jose about 6 PM. We all went to dinner at Sultana and Chris picked up the bill. We all had the salmon except Linda who had the lamb. They were all very good. In the evening we watched a DVD of the French movie Horseman on the Roof. Chris can't see well enough to read subtitles, so he slept through some of it.

Message 784

Yesterday I packed my suitcase for Tahoe. This will be my last message until I return from Tahoe in a week. I have arranged to meet Kirsten and her kids at the Sacramento airport tomorrow morning. This afternoon I will pick Charlie and Kat up at Jason's house about 5 PM and bring them to Menlo Park to spend the night. We should all leave tomorrow morning by 8:30 Am to get to Sacramento by 11 AM.

Message 783

We had a great breakfast yesterday at the Live Oak Kitchen. Beech and Annie loved seeing all the kids. Annie fell asleep on the way home and had about an hour-long nap. Jason took all the other kids to Great America while Susan and Julie went shopping, or something. It was great to see Julie and Alex who has grown a lot since I saw him last year. Last night I watched a DVD of the Spanish movie The Maid. It was supposed to be a comedy/drama, but I thought it was mostly boring as well as strange. I give it 2.5 stars.

Message 782

Things have changed since I sent my message yesterday. Julian and I are now going to be driving separate cars, so I will take Charlie and Kat with me to pick up Kirsten and her kids at the Sacramento airport. I will thus not have to put them on the train to San Francisco, so Chris and Linda will be only two in their rental car on the drive to Tahoe. Vanessa will be here in about forty minutes to drop off Beech and Annie while she sees her doctor to discuss her surgery next week. I am going to take the kids down to Los Gatos to have breakfast with the gang, which now includes Julie and Alex, who flew in last night.

Message 781

Chris called yesterday and asked if Charlie and his girlfriend Kat can stay here Friday night. They are staying with Jason and Susan before that, but they are all leaving for Tahoe on Friday. I will drive to Los Gatos and pick Charlie and Kat up and bring them to Menlo Park to stay Friday night. Saturday morning early I will take them to the train station so they can ride the train to San Francisco to meet Chris and Linda to ride in their rental car to Tahoe.

Last night Joshua joined Mimi and me for a burger at The Dutch Goose. I was glad Joshua and Mimi had a chance to get to know each other.

Message 780

Yesterday I finished reading Science and also I finished the book Half the Shy by Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn. Its subtitle is Turning Oppression into Opportunity Worldwide. It is a very good book, and I recommend it for anyone interested in women. In the evening I watched a DVD of the Chinese movie Farewell my Concubine. It is the third time I have watched it and I am finally beginning to understand it and like it a little better. It uses Chinese opera and the process of training its performers from childhood, or even infancy, to be performers. It also uses opera as an allegory to present Chinese history of the 20th century.

Message 779

Yesterday Mimi and I had coffee at Starbucks with Helen and Jim and Joan and Dave. I also read all of The Economist and part of this weeks Science. In the evening I watched Presumed Innocent on PBS. I had read the book years ago but I had not seen the movie. I was amazed at how young the cast looked. Harrison Ford was still on the way up and a couple of the others later became famous for their parts on the TV series West Wing.

Message 778

Yesterday I finished reading Science and started this week's issue of The Economist. In the evening I watched for the second time a DVD of the movie The Painted Veil. It is based on the novel by Somerset Maugham. It is an unusual role for Edward Norton, but it is a great and well done movie.

Messgae 777

Yesterday Mimi and I met Vanessa and Reggie for breakfast at Heidi's Pies. Afterward Mimi went back to San Jose where her mother is now being fed through a tube through her nose with her hands tied so she will not pull it out again. I went home and finished reading The Economist and started reading Science. In the evening I watched a DVD of the Chinese movie Temptress Moon. I had completely forgotten it from my previous viewing when I gave it 2.9 stars. I still agree with this rating, although I now appreciate it more. It is a classic story, sort of a Chinese Romeo and Juliette, about how the absurd customs of a decaying and collapsing society of early 20th century century China ruins the lives of everyone, especially women.

Message 776

After a nice coffee at Peets with Annie and Vanessa yesterday, I read some more of The Economist I also watched three more episodes of True Blood Season 2. Mimi's mother had to be taken from the Nursing home to the hospital again. This time her feeding tube ruptured and the doctor told Mimi her mom would probably be dead within ten days. It si a rough time for her.

Message 775

Yesterday I had lunch with Jason and his family and Evelyn in Los Gatos. Afterward I drove Evelyn to SFO to catch her return flight to Houston. In the evening I watched a PBS show about Gladiators. I also read a little bit more of The Economist. I am just about to leave this morning to meet Vanessa and Annie at the train station. They are riding the train as a treat for Annie. We will have a coffee and then they will take the 11 AM train back to San Mateo.

Message 774

Yesterday I did three loads of laundry and played some more with my computers. I still have not figured out how to get my SETI program running again. I also read some more of The Economist.

Message 773

Yesterday I began to get familiar with my new computer. I still have not figured out how to restart my SETI program on my old computer now in the guest room. I ate dinner in San Mateo with Julian, Vanessa and the kids. Before that I did some Safeway shopping and watched Episode 4 of True Blood Season 2. In the evening I watched Murder on the Orient Express on PBS.

Message 772

Yesterday was a busy day. When Julian and Beech came over they came to lunch at El Cerrito with Jason and Ellie and me. After lunch Julian took the kids swimming in my condo pool while Jason and I continued setting up my new computer. Jason actually did all the work while I offered suggestions. What a great guy he is! We went to Fry's about 7 PM and picked up a couple of more items to complete the setup, and stopped by to see Joshua afterward to pick up the speaker system from my old Dell computer that is now broken and he no longer uses. I am writing this message on my new HP computer that has a different email system, so it looks a little different and acts somewhat differently from my old one.

Mimi had to spend the day and night yesterday at the hospital helping with her mom. The ambulance is scheduled to take her mom back to the nursing home at 4 PM today. Last night before I went to bed I watched Episode 3 on Disk 2 of True Blood Season 2.

Message 771

Yesterday I had a nice lunch in Los Gatos with all the girls as I described in yesterday's message. This morning Mimi and I met Helen and Jim at Starbucks. Jason and Ellie were with us there too. After coffee Mimi went to San Jose to stay with her mom at the hospital. The IV antibiotic is working and has caused the feeding tube to come unblocked, so she will not need surgery to put in a new one. Tomorrow she should be able to move back to the nursing home. Jason and I and Ellie went to Costco and bought me a new computer when we left Starbucks. Jason is hooking it up now while I am writing this. Julian and Beech are coming over in a little while so we can all go out to lunch.

Message 770

I am just about to leave to pick Evelyn up at Stanford. I will then drive San Jose to pick Mimi up at the hospital where she is with her mom while she waits for the IV antibiotic to bring down her fever enough so the can operate to put in a new feeding tube for her. I will then drive Mimi and Evelyn to Los Gatos where I can then take all the girls to Live Oak Kitchen for lunch. I am glad I will thus have Mimi get to know more of the family, and they to know her.

Message 769

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Vanessa, Reggie, and Henry. Mimi was not able to join us this morning because her mother was taken to the hospital last night, and Mimi wanted to be there this morning for the emergency surgery required to replace the feeding tube, which is now blocked and infected.

Message 768

Vanessa brought Annie down yesterday around noon so I could watch her while Vanessa went to an appointment with Beech's shrink. I took Annie to the Redwood City McDonalds with a playground. I got myself a Number 13, a one-third pounder Angus beef bacon cheeseburger meal. I shared my French fries and ketchup with Annie. She also drank two chocolate milks. I was lucky to get her to eat that much. She is so busy playing with the other kids there that she generally just runs back to grab another French Fry and then rejoins the kid pack

I was sorry to hear form Julie that her dad is now in a nursing home with Parkinson's disease. It is a sad and tough situation for all involved.

Message 767

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist and did two loads of wash. It seemed like Sunday, so it is strange for me to realize that today is Tuesday, not Monday. Mimi and I are still seeing a lot of each other. She has to spend every afternoon helping take care of her mother in a nursing home in San Jose. She has Parkinson's disease and can not eat or walk, so she has to be fed through a tube through her abdomen into her stomach. One of Mimi's brothers is a doctor who lives in Florida. He insists on keeping their mother alive, so he and her other two brothers who are engineers in Silicon Valley pay to keep her in the nursing home and pay Mimi to help take care of her seven days a week. It is a hard job because her mother is pretty much a vegetable.

Message 766

Yesterday I read some more of The Economist. I should finish it today. Last night Mimi and I ate dinner at a Chinese Restaurant on Santana Row. Afterward we watched fireworks all around us as we drove back to pick up her car.

Message 765

Yesterday I read some more of The Economist. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the Japanese movie Departures. She lived in Japan for a while so it was especially interesting to her. It was the second time watching it for me, and I still think it is a wonderful and beautiful movie. If you have not seen it, I highly recommend it.

Message 764

Yesterday Mimi and I had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant in San Jose. For dinner we ate pizza on the sidewalk at Amici's in Menlo Park. This morning she joined us at Starbucks and met Helen and Jim and Dave and Joan. Dave still looks terrible, but at least he is feeling good enough now to get out of bed. I started reading The Economist yesterday, but did not get very far. In the evening Mimi and I watched a DVD of the Chinese movie Shanghai Triad. It is one of my favorites, and she had never seen it.

Message 763

Yesterday I had breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Reggie, Henry, Vanessa, and Mimi Greer. I was surprised that Vanessa joined us because she had planned to be in Petaluma. I met Mimi a week ago on POF and have seen her several times since. She is a 61-year old Vietnamese woman who escaped with her parents and siblings when the North Vietnamese took Saigon. In the afternoon I worked some more on my memoirs. In the evening I watched the commentary for episode 2 of True Blood Season 2. I also finished reading the new Science.

Message 762

Yesterday I returned to writing my memoirs for the first time in a couple of weeks. I was able to get quite a bit done. In the evening I watched the first two episodes of True Blood Season 2 on Disk 1. It is quite good and keeps up the standard set in Season 1. I think I may eventually watch Season 1 again sometime, because I had forgotten a lot of it. I also started reading the new Science.

Message 761

Yesterday I read some more of the book Half the Sky. It is very good. The DOW is now down below 10,000, about where it was when, several years ago, I shifted everything I had in the market to the TIAA fund. Although I have been drawing the required minimum distribution ever since, it has not lost any significant value, so I am living on the interest.

Message 760

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist and read some more of the book Half the Sky. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Fling. It had a good (but unknown to me) cast, but the story concept was so absurd that I give it only 2.4 stars.

Message 759

Yesterday I read some more of The Economist and took it easy. It was a very hot day, so I had to turn off my computer to keep it from burning out the processor. At 4:30 PM I drove to San Mateo to keep cool in the air-conditioned car. Julian cooked spaghetti and bread and salad and peach pie which I had requested for my father's day dinner, but we had it a week late because we had all gone out to lunch the previous Sunday to celebrate Father's Day. In the evening I watched Miss Marple and read some more of The Economist. Because Charlie Rose is not on Sundays, I again turned in early.

Message 758

I took a long nap yesterday afternoon, and in the evening I went to the couples club dinner party. I took an appetizer, three different cheeses and two different crackers. The main course featured Cornish game hens. I got home a little after 10 PM and read The Economist and watched local news until nearly midnight when I turned in early.

Message 757

I just got back from dropping Ellie off in Los Gatos. Yesterday Beech and Ellie had a sleep-over at my place. Vanessa dropped Beech off here about 4 PM yesterday, and I drove him down to Los Gatos. They and the other kids swam in the pool there, and then I took them all out to dinner at Live Oak Kitchen, and then to the Sweet Retreat Ice Cream shop a couple of doors away. Beech had packed a package of microwave popcorn and some cotton candy, along with the cartoon movie Open Season to watch while they ate the treats. I finally got them to sleep about 10 PM, after which I watched news and Charlie Rose. This morning Beech woke at the crack of dawn, about 5:30 AM. He then woke Ellie, and they both woke me. They were making so much noise that I took them to McDonalds with the playground in Redwood City. We then went to Starbucks at about 8 Am where we were scheduled to meet Helen and Jim. but they did not arrive until after 9:30 AM, so the kids rode the two scooters that Beech had also brought. Julian came about 9:15 AM to take Beech to his Kung Fu class, so only Ellie and I met Helen and Jim when they arrived. Jim returned the book The Blind Side that I had given him, so now I can pass it on to Julian.

Message 756

Yesterday I had breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Reggie and Henry. Vanessa called early and told me she would not be able to make it. She needs to catch up with her MAD Stitches work. Later I met another nice woman from POF. I expect we will meet again. In the evening I started reading the book Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn. It is a very good non-fiction account of the horrific oppression of women in the world.

Message 755

I had another quiet day at home yesterday. In the afternoon Olga from Fremont came over after contacting me on POF. We had a very nice visit for a couple of hours, and I think we may well meet again. In the evening I watched a DVD of the classic Japanese movie Hara-kiri. Even though it was a classic and had an anti-samurai message I found it boring and give it only two stars.

Message 754

I had a quiet day at home yesterday. In the evening I went to San Mateo to play bridge with Patricia Dorr. We had dinner at a nearby Country Club, and when we finished It was still an hour before the game was scheduled to start. She asked about where Vanessa lived, so we stopped in for a surprise visit. The bridge was fun, but I was home by 10 PM.

Message 753

Yesterday Susan had to take the girls to Larry Morrill to check their braces, and afterward we had coffee and pastries at Starbucks. I then took Ellie and Caroline home with me while Susan took the twins shopping. Vanessa brought Beech by and I took him and Ellie and Caroline to Chuckee Cheese. The all had a ball playing the games and winning bunches of tickets which they traded in for prizes. I was the only one who ate much pizza, but Caroline ate a bunch of Buffalo wings, and somewhat reluctantly shared some with Beech and Ellie. I drove the kids to Los Gatos after lunch, and they had fun playing while I read the newspaper. Afterward I drove Beech to San Mateo

In the evening I watched Vol. 1 of The Buccaneers, which was in black and white and made in Britain for TV in 1956. It was funny, like watching the three stooges playing pirates. I got it on Netflix by accident, so I cancelled the rest of the series. I give it 2.5 stars.

Mesage 752

I hosted a fathers' day lunch yesterday at the Mexican restaurant Celia's, where Fontana's used to be, for the three Js plus Vanessa and the kids, and Amelia and Evelyn. It was going to be at Ten Fu, but when I got there it was not open for lunch, so we had to switch to Celia's. Jamie was planning to join us, but the kids were fussy and he had to put them down for a nap. After lunch Jason, Amelia and I took Evelyn to Stanford to start her summer program. She is going to study Philosophy.

In the afternoon I finished reading The Economist and also Science. In the evening I watched Miss Marple on PBS.

Message 751

I had a quiet day at home yesterday. I read some more of The Economist, and went in the hot tub. I was unusually cool yesterday, so it felt good to warm up. In the evening I watched a DVD of the Japanese movie When a Woman Ascends the Stairs. It was made in 1960 and is considered a classic, although I had never heard of it. I was impressed by how good it was. It was made in black and white and it was a philosophical statement by the director of how mostly bad things happen to people in life and there is nothing to do but accept what comes and go on living. It was beautifully acted and the subtitles were not distracting. I give it four stars.

Message 750

Yesterday I picked Evelyn up at SFO and drove her to Los Gatos where we had lunch with Jason and Amelia. Susan and the other girls had gone to Northstar to check out the reunion houses. The report I got from Jason is that all three houses are suitable for the big dinners, so we can just rotate between the three. In the evening after the Friday PBS shows were over I read about half of The Economist. I did not watch a DVD.

Message 748

I had a lunch date with another POF woman who drove to Menlo Park to meet me. She was very nice and we had a lot in common, but I am not sure that she is interested considering my not wanting to travel. In the evening I watched a DVD of the new Clint Eastwood movie Invictus. It starred Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon who are both always good. It was a very feel-good movie that was even better because it was based on a true story. I give it four stars.

Message 747

Yesterday I took Beech and Annie to the redwood City McDonalds with a playground at noon while Vanessa had a doctor's appointment. Both kids had a ball playing with the other kids, but neither of them ate very much. I ate the one-third pound Angus cheese burger. I watched Obama's speech at 5 PM and thought it was good. In the evening I watched a DVD of the old (1952) French movie Casque d'Or. It is a classic that I first saw in when I was at Hamilton, but I had forgotten all of it. It was stylistically and historically interesting, but I give it 3.6 stars.

Message 746

Yesterday I drove to Livermore to meet a woman who contacted me on plentyoffish.com (POF) at a winery for lunch. She was nice, but I told her what I have told others that traveling is too hard for me and that if they want to meet again they will have to come to Menlo Park. Now I don't even accept invitations from women who live more than ten miles away. I took a nap after I got home and felt refreshed in the evening to watch an old (1994) Ang Lee movie called Eat Drink Man Woman. It was mostly about the elaborate rituals of Chinese cooking, so those of you who like cooking might enjoy it. It also has a lot to do with the love lives of a widowed father and his three daughters. I was surprised at how much I liked it. I give it four stars.

Message 745

Yesterday I read Science and in the late afternoon I went to San Mateo for dinner with Julian, Vanessa, and the kids. In the evening I watched a DVD of the Israeli movie The Band's Visit. It was a very slow paced movie about an Egyptian Band's visit to play a concert in Israel. I give it 2.5 stars. It was not bad, it was just too simple to be interesting.