Message 672

Yesterday Beech and Annie came over for a couple of hours while Vanessa had a hair appointment. They had a great time, but I have decided I cannot deal with them both at the same time anymore. We do great when I am one on one with either one of them, but with both together they are more than I can manage. In the evening I watched disk 2 of My So-Called Life. It is very good. I think Melanie and Amelia and Evelyn would enjoy watching it.

Message 671

Yesterday morning Vanessa took Annie to an audition, so I took Beech to PAMF to get a prescription for his cough and to check his ear that was leaking fluid. We then went to McDonalds for lunch and then to my condo where we downloaded Easter coloring pages which he did a very careful job of coloring with my limited supply of highlighter pens. Maybe I will buy some better coloring implements. He then requested that we watch Shane again. He knew just where to find it on my shelf. About half way through I went into the other room to watch The News Hour, and he gave up on the movie and played solitaire while I watched the news. He is getting pretty good at all of these things, including reading.

In the evening Joshua came over and watched 24 with me. I think maybe next week will be a double episode that will be the end of the series. Josh thinks Jack will die at the end and I think he will go happily off into the sunset with the FBI woman.

Message 670

Yesterday I read some more of The Economist, and in the evening I went to San Mateo for our usual Sunday family dinner. Julian and Beech returned from their ski trip in time for Julian to grill the steak. Before and during dinner I watched the Sharks beat Colorado 5-3. Beech would relay the score to me at the table during the third period. In the evening I watched Sharp's Challenge on Masterpiece Theater.

Message 669

Yesterday afternoon I took Annie to Nealon Park to eat lunch and play for a few hours. Beech and Julian were up skiing for the weekend. In the evening I went to the couples club dinner group. There were only eight of us there, which is fewer than usual, but the food was very good, and everyone enjoyed the cherry pie and ice cream that I took. I was home before 10 PM so I read The Economist for a while, but I was tired, so I went to bed at midnight.

Message 668

I just got back from meeting Helen and Jim at Starbucks. Last night after the Friday PBS programs I watched Disk 1 of My So-Called Life, with the first three episodes of the series. It was the first role for Claire Danes when she was 13 years old and played a 15-year old high school girl. It is full of teenage angst, but is well done. So far I give it 3.8 stars. I may upgrade the rating after I watch the other four disks.

Message 667

Yesterday I discovered that my new TV was defective, so I had to take it back and exchange it for a new one. I took Beech with me for the exchange after his Kung Fu class. After we got the new TV, we went back to the pizza place so he could play his game and eat pizza. He won a new stuffed rabbit to give to Annie.

Last night I watched the Sharks shut out Dallas 3-0. It is nice to have the Sharks back playing like they should. Joshua had something else on his schedule, so he did not watch the game with me. The picture on my new TV looks great. After the game I checked to see how it works with my DVD player, but I am not getting a good picture. I am concerned that the TV only works with a Blue-ray player, but more likely I do not have the cables plugged in to the right places. I will work more on it today.

Message 666

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies. I had a cleaning crew in yesterday at noon, and when I got back from having lunch at El Cerrito my living room TV would not work. At first I thought the cleaning crew had messed with it, but after a lot of fiddling I realized that it had gone bad the same way my computer monitor went bad a few months ago. In other, the LCD display would work fine for about a second and then it would turn itself off. After leaving Heidi's Pies, I took my TV to the recycling center and went to Best Buy to get a new one. I had intended to buy a CRT-TV, but I discovered they are not made anymore. I decided up having to buy a 26-inch LCD-TV because that was the biggest that would fit into my cabinet. I bought the 4-year service plan this time too, although the old TV lasted for six years before it quit.

Last night I drove Larry and Judi to SFO where they are going for a week-long vacation in New York where they are meeting Larry's sister. It was raining hard on my way to the airport, but the sun is shining now.

Message 665

Yesterday I picked Beech up at his school at noon and took him to McDonalds for lunch and then home to do two pages of homework followed by video games until Vanessa and Annie came home. In the late afternoon Joshua brought in fish and chips and watched the Sharks game with me. They finally broke their losing streak by beating Minnesota 4-1. After the game I finished reading The Economist and the new issue of Science.

Message 664

Henry brought his daughter Anique over yesterday afternoon for help with her calculus homework. I was pretty rusty, so I did not manage to help her very much, but she is a bright girl, so I think she may have benefitted a little bit. In the evening Joshua was supposed to come over to watch 24 with me, but he called and said he was too late to make it in time, so I watched it by myself. I also read some more of The Economist.

Message 663

Yesterday I did three loads of wash and got most of the stuff put away from the visit of Liz and her family. Henry and his daughter never came over for calculus tutoring, so I started reading The Economist. In the evening Joshua brought in pizza and watched the Sharks game with me. They lost a disgusting sixth game in a row. They were behind 0-5 until near the end of the third period when Ryane Clow scored to spare them the further disgrace of being shut out, so they lost 1-5 to the Edmonton Oilers.

Message 662

Liz and her family just left on their return trip to Houston. It was wonderful to have them here for five days. This morning we had breakfast at El Cerrito, as we did on their first morning. I have a load of towels in the wash as I write this message.

Yesterday the whole family, including Jamie and Chelsea and the kids; Julian and Vanessa and the kids; Liz and Bill and the kids; Linda and Walt; Jason and Susan and the kids; and me spent the afternoon and evening in Los Gatos. Susan fixed a wonderful corned beef and cabbage dinner, Linda brought three pies, Most people and kids went in the spa. After dinner Susan and I and Caroline, Melanie, Amelia, and Ellie, and Sean watched The Superhero Movie. It was a very funny spoof on Spiderman and other such films, and it was very funny and made us all laugh uproariously. I give it four stars because it was so silly and light-hearted and fun to watch with kids.

Message 661

I just got back from having breakfast at the Stanford golf course with Helen and Jim, Julian and Vanessa and the kids, and Liz and her family except for Sean who spent the night at Jason's house in Los Gatos. I did not go to the Gomez concert last night, so I went to dinner and a movie with the Morrills and the Ariagnos. We saw the Swedish film called the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I had never heard of it, but apparently it won the Academy Award for best foreign film this year. It was very well done, but I give it only 3.5 stars because it was a thriller/mystery with a lot of unpleasant scenes and not much in the way of redeeming qualities.

Message 660

Late yesterday afternoon I drove Sean and Evelyn down to Los Gatos and took them, Susan, and the girls to dinner at Live Oak Kitchen, our usual neighborhood eating place. Susan and Caroline had to leave early so Caroline could perform in her school program, so the rest of us went to the ice cream place a couple of doors from where we ate, which is our usual routine. After dinner I came home and watched the Sharks game by myself. Evelyn and Sean spent the night in Los Gatos and Joshua went biking with Pat and did not make it here for the game. It was just as well because the Sharks lost to Vancouver 2-3, so it is their fourth loss in a row, which is extremely unusual for them. Jason, Liz, Bill, and Nichole stayed in a hotel after the concert last night, so I was the only one here. Liz, Bill, and Nichole have now gone to Los Gatos, and Beech is here with me for the afternoon as I write this.

Message 659

Liz and Bill and I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies. The kids did not want to get up this morning, so they did not join us as I had planned. We did not get home from the Gomez concert last night until after 1 AM, so they were pretty tired. There was an extra ticket, so I went to the concert too. It was the third Gomez concert I have been to, and it was very enjoyable as always. Charlie Rose was over by the time we got home, so I will have to watch it today at noon today. Jamie and Chelsea and the kids plus Vanessa and her kids and Joshua and Jason had dinner at Ten Fu last night before eight of us went to the city for the concert. It was great for everybody to get together.

Message 658

Yesterday I picked Beech up at school for our usual Tuesday lunch and homework session. He has now reverted to Happy Meals, and to my amazement he ate nine chicken McNuggets. He started off with the usual 6-piece meal, then asked for more so I bought him an additional six McNuggets, but he only managed to eat half before he gave up, so I took the remaining three and a package of Ranch dressing home to put in his refrigerator. After doing three pages of homework he was playing in the backyard running naked through a stream of water from the hose when his neighbor Daniela from the corner came by with her babysitter and asked if she could play. Beech then got dressed and they bounced on the trampoline for a while and then moved into the house for some games. Daniela mostly played with Annie's kitchen stuff making pepperoni cupcakes for me to eat while Beech set up his Twister game. When Vanessa came home with Annie, I bailed out. Joshua came over at 5:30 PM and watched the Sharks game with me, but they lost to Dallas 2-8 in a shameful letdown from their usual level of play.

About 10 PM Liz and her family arrived. They had stopped off to eat on the way from San Jose before they came to my place. They helped me finish making up the air-mattress beds and then all turned in, since they were all still on Houston time. I watched Charlie Rose who had a terrific hour with Michael Lewis about his just published book named The Big Fall. Bill and I are the only ones up this morning so far. He has already made a pot of coffee, but I am going to wait until we walk up to El Cerrito for breakfast before I drink any coffee today.

Message 658

Yesterday I picked Beech up at school for our usual Tuesday lunch and homework session. He has now reverted to Happy Meals, and to my amazement he ate nine chicken McNuggets. He started off with the usual 6-piece meal, then asked for more so I bought him an additional six McNuggets, but he only managed to eat half before he gave up, so I took the remaining three and a package of Ranch dressing home to put in his refrigerator. After doing three pages of homework he was playing in the backyard running naked through a stream of water from the hose when his neighbor Daniela from the corner came by with her babysitter and asked if she could play. Beech then got dressed and they bounced on the trampoline for a while and then moved into the house for some games. Daniela mostly played with Annie's kitchen stuff making pepperoni cupcakes for me to eat while Beech set up his Twister game. When Vanessa came home with Annie, I bailed out. Joshua came over at 5:30 PM and watched the Sharks game with me, but they lost to Dallas 2-8 in a shameful letdown from their usual level of play.

About 10 PM Liz and her family arrived. They had stopped off to eat on the way from San Jose before they came to my place. They helped me finish making up the air-mattress beds and then all turned in, since they were all still on Houston time. I watched Charlie Rose who had a terrific hour with Michael Lewis about his just published book named The Big Fall. Bill and I are the only ones up this morning so far. He has already made a pot of coffee, but I am going to wait until we walk up to El Cerrito for breakfast before I drink any coffee today.

Message 657

Yesterday I started getting ready for the arrival this evening for Liz and her family. I blew up one of the air mattresses and got the other one out and ready to be blown up tonight. In the evening Joshua came over and watched 24 with me. Later I read some more of Hyperion.

Message 656

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist. Joshua brought in Mexican food in the evening and watched the Sharks game with me. They lost to Anaheim 2-4. That is two loses in a row. I guess that helps even things out since they won the other five games against Anaheim this season.

Message 655

Yesterday Joshua came over in the afternoon and watched the Sharks game with me. They went ahead of the Florida Panthers 2-0 in the first period and then they lost in overtime 2-3. At least they got one point out of it. That is professional sports for you. No team can win every game. During the rest of the day I read half of The Economist.

Message 654

Early yesterday afternoon I picked Joshua up at SFO when he arrived on the KLM flight from Amsterdam after a two-week stay. He said it was a successful trip. In the evening I went out to dinner and a movie with Larry and Judi and Ron and Marci. We saw Shutter Island, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. It was about criminally insanity in 1954, and I did not find it very enjoyable, so I give it only 2.9 stars.

I just got back from Starbucks with Helen and Jim and Joan. I invited them to join Liz and me and her family at the Stanford golf course for breakfast next Saturday in place of our regular Starbucks meeting.. I went to CVS after coffee this morning, and they are still waiting for my doctor to respond to their FAX asking his approval to refill my Flomax prescription, so the pharmacist gave me three pills to tide me over the weekend.

Message 653

Yesterday evening I watched the Shark's game against Nashville. The Sharks were totally outplayed for the first two periods and were lucky to be behind only 2-4 at the start of the third. Like they have done in the last four games they then got their act together in the third period and played like the champions they should be all the time. They scored six goals and won the game 8-5. Joe Pavelsky was especially entertaining with a spinorama goal that made it 6-5. It was his second goal of the period in addition to two assists.

Charlie Rose had two very interesting women that I had never heard of on his show last night. One was British and one was born here in Cupertino.

Before dawn today I decided that I can not continue without taking Flomax. Following my doctors suggestion to try giving it up for a month, I thought I was doing pretty well for about two weeks, but it has been getting harder to get by without it. I had a few leftover Hytrin pills from my days with Kaiser, so I took one of those, which fortunately worked like a charm, so I went back to bed and slept for four more hours. My new prescription for Flomax is supposed to be ready to pick up at 5 PM today.

Message 352

I just got back from breakfast at Heidi's Pies. I told them that next week we would need to put two tables together to seat nine because Liz and her family will be joining us. Last night I watched a DVD of the movie Bright Star. It is another biopic written and directed by Jane Campion. It is about the British poet John Keats and his unconsummated love affair with his girlfriend whom he was too poor to marry before he died at age 25 in about 1865. It was done well enough that I give it four stars.

Message 351

Yesterday I picked Beech up at school and took him to McDonald's for lunch. We then went to his house and I helped him with a couple of pages of his homework, after which I watched him play Mario Cars. When Vanessa got home with Annie, I went to Little House (the senior center at Nealon Park) and had my taxes done. It is good to get them out of the way, and I should get my refunds in a few weeks.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie An Angel at My Table. It is another movie directed by Jane Campion. It is a biopic based on the autobiography of Janet Frame, a famous New Zealand author and poet that I had never heard of. She was a brilliant writer, but because she was such a shy and insecure person she had a difficult and troubled life, but she hung in there and got a lot published. I have a lot of respect for the movie, but it was somewhat painful to watch, so I give it 3.5 stars.

Message 650

Yesterday I picked up a new bottle of antibiotics at PAMF and did two loads of laundry. In the late afternoon I watched a DVD of the movie The Merry Gentleman with Kelly Macdonald and Michael Keaton. It was a strange sort of crime/love story, but it was good enough that I give it 3.2 stars. In the evening I watched 24, so I am up to date on what Jack Bower is doing.

Message 649

Yesterday I read some more of The Economist. In the evening I went to San Mateo for the regular family dinner. Julian had fixed a pot of chili. It reminded me of Chris's favorite meal to cook. In the evening there was nothing except fundraisers on PBS. I suppose they figured most people would be watching the Oscars. I watched a DVD of the Japanese movie Departures, which won the Academy Award for best foreign film in 2008. I was not expecting much from it, so I was again amazed at how good it was and how strongly it affected me. It dealt with some of my favorite subjects like life, death, music, work, and love. The photography was beautiful, and the subtitles were easy to read and not distracting. One the best things was the cello music. The story is: a classical cello player loses his job when the orchestra goes broke because few people go to their concerts. He then leaves Tokyo with his wife and goes back to his home in the country that was left to him by his mother who died a few years before. He then finds meaning in his life in an unlikely line of work, the ritual preparation of bodies for cremation. I give it five stars.

Message 648

Yesterday I went to Justine Solomon's wedding in Los Altos, and then to the reception and dinner at the Lucy Stern Center in Palo Alto. There must have been a hundred or more people there, including all of the people who work with Justine at Cafe Barone. I sat at the table with Ron and Marci Ariagno and Dennis and Therese Rohan, plus three others. It was a very nice wedding and reception. Eddie's Parkinson's symptoms have continued to get worse, so he has a full-time care-taker with him all the time now, but he was able to manage a speech as father of the bride at the dinner. I got home in time to watch the third period of the Sharks game. They were behind Columbus 0-1, but Dany Heatly and Joe Pavelski both scored in the third period to finally win the game 2-1. I then read some more of The Economist, but I was a little tired and there is no Charlie Rose on Saturday, so I went to bed around midnight.

Message 647

Last night after the Friday PBS shows were over I read over half of The Economist. I am going now to Safeway for my weekly shopping. No Starbucks today.

Message 646

Last night I watched a DVD of the movie In the Cut. It was directed by Jane Campion, who also directed The Piano. It starred Meg Ryan in a very different type of role from her usual, and it featured several other well known stars. It was a very raw and gritty movie about people with troubled lives. I give it four stars because it was so well done, but I do not like giving such a high rating to a movie that is so difficult to watch. When I went to bed after Charlie Rose, who had a very good interview with Elizabeth Warren, who is very good, I realized that I had forgotten to watch the Sharks game, but I went to their web site and found that they came from behind in the third period to beat Montreal 3-2.

Message 645

I am late getting back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies because I stayed to pick Beech up at school so Vanessa could keep an appointment to have her hair done. Beech is here with me now waiting for her to pick him up. Rob Ballard left early this morning before I got up so he could depose the plastic surgeon who is key to his case defending the nine year-old girl whose ear was bitten off by a horse. Last night I watched a DVD of the movie The Dark Knight. Even though it had a good cast, I just do not like movies based on comic books. I give it 2.4 stars. I am now washing the guest room sheets so they will be clean when Liz and her family arrive next week.

Message 644

Yesterday after breakfast at El Cerrito I helped Rob with some work he had to do at Kinko's and then showed him around Stanford for a while. He had to meet with people in the afternoon and evening, so I did not see him again until the third period of the Sharks game. After giving up four goals in the second period, the Sharks trailed New Jersey 0-4, but in the third period they got their act together and scored three goals, so they lost 3-4, and saved themselves from total disgrace. At noon I picked Beech up at school and took him to lunch, which is our usual Tuesday routine. At midnight I watched Charlie Rose as usual. His show was quite good again as is also usual.

Message 643

Yesterday I had Orlindo's crew in to clean my condo. I walked up to Starbucks and had a coffee while they were here. In the evening I watched 24. I had finished The Economist yesterday, so I read Science until Rob Ballard arrived about 11 PM. You all probably remember him from our reunions. He is Joe Cleaver's sister's son, and his son is named Carson and is in kindergarten. Anyway, I invited him to stay in my guest room while he has some legal business in Redwood City for the next few days. His plane was scheduled to land at 8 PM, but it was a couple of hours late, so he missed watching 24 with me. He was ready for bed shortly after he arrived, so he was asleep while I watched Charlie Rose. We are about to head up to El Cerrito for breakfast.

Message 642

Yesterday I watched the Americans lose to the Canadians in overtime for the Olympic gold medal. I did not really care who won, but the Canadians had the better team, including four of the Sharks best players. The Americans had only one Shark on their team, and I had never heard of the others. Also, the game meant more to Canadians than it did to Americans, so it is just as well that they won. I the evening I went to San Mateo for the usual Sunday family dinner. In the evening I watched 39 Steps on PBS Masterpiece Classics.