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.

Message 744

Yesterday I had coffee at Starbucks with Helen and Jim, Joan and David (he is up and about again), and Jody, Aaron, and Emily (Helen's granddaughter). Afterwards I picked Larry and Judi and their son David up at SFO after they returned from two weeks in Japan visiting relatives and sightseeing. In the evening they picked me up for a dinner at the Ariagnos with George and Laureen, who a here from France, and Ron's friend Norman who is passing through from Melbourne, Australia, on his way to a meeting in Las Vegas. I took cherry pie and ice cream as my contribution to the dinner. They were a big hit.

Message 743

Yesterday I drove to Berkeley to have lunch with a woman who contacted me on plentyoffish.com (POF). Even though it was the middle of the day it took me over two hours to get there because of traffic and getting lost. I did not feel that we were compatible, so I do not expect anything to come of it. By the time I got home I was so tired I turned in early after the Friday PBS shows. I even skipped Charlie Rose because I saw that he was interviewing some chef.

Message 742

Yesterday I had breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Vanessa and Patricia Dorr. Reggie is in Florida getting his daughter moved into her condo to start medical school. I am not sure why Henry was not there. Last week Vanessa persuaded me to sign up on this free online dating site called plentyoffish.com. Patricia was the first one I have met in person. She is very nice, and we may play bridge next week.

In the evening I watched a DVD of an Israeli movie called Nina's Tragedies made in 2005. It was interesting to see something of life in Israel, and the story was unusual but basically feel-good in spite of being about a woman whose husband is killed in an attack by terrorists. A lot of Jewish customs are incomprehensible to me, but it was interesting to see them. I give it three stars.

Message 741

Yesterday I took Annie to the Redwood City McDonalds with a playground for lunch while Vanessa took Beech to Packard for an appointment. He needs to have new tubes put in his ears. The old ones have come out. The procedure is not scheduled until August. I watched part of the overtime game where Chicago beat Philadelphia in overtime for The Stanley Cup. I did not watch a DVD.

Message 740

Yesterday I finished reading Science and took a nap. In the evening I watched a DVD of the Canadian movie Bliss. It was about the troubled marriage of a woman who was abused by her father as a child. It was a bit heavy for my taste but I appreciated its effort. I give it three stars.

Message 738

Yesterday I Finished reading The Economist during the day, and ate a roast pork dinner with Julian, Vanessa, and the kids. This coming Friday is Beech's last day of kindergarten. Annie is already finished with her school. In the evening I watched a DVD of the French movie Diva. It is sort of a gangster thriller, but it is weighted so heavily with symbolism that it is oscillates between ambiguity and incomprehensibility. I give it 2.7 stars.

Message 737

Yesterday I had coffee with Helen and Jim at Starbucks and did my Safeway shopping. In the evening I had a blind date with Lucila Echeverria, a long-time friend and colleague of Vanessa when she worked for the county. Lucia is originally from Peru, but she has also lived in Argentina and Spain before moving to the United States about fifteen years ago, where she is now a citizen. She is very nice and friendly and I enjoyed getting to know her. We had dinner at Sultana and then watched a DVD of the movie Shanghai Triad, which is one of my all-time five-star favorites.

Message 736

Yesterday I picked up a new bottle of antibiotic solution from PAMF, but when I wanted to use it when I went to bed after Charlie Rose it was not in the refrigerator! I realized I had left it in my car and had to go down and get it. It was kind of hot yesterday, but was mostly humid, so I hope it did not spoil. I finished reading Sleeping Where I Fall yesterday. Thanks for giving it to me Susan. It was a very interesting insight into the sixties counter-culture, and I was intrigued by its technique as a memoir.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie The Verdict. Paul Newman plays a drunk, ambulance chasing lawyer, who manages to do a good thing for a change. I give it three stars.

Message 735

Yesterday I worked some more on my memoirs. In the evening I thought I would watch a DVD, but I got so interested in the Joan Baez documentary on PBS that I never got around to it. Also I read some more of Sleeping Where I Fall. I may finish it today.

Message 733

Yesterday I had breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Vanessa, Annie, and Reggie. Henry never showed up, and we never found out why. We met on Tuesday this week because Vanessa and Julian have to do stuff at Beech's school on Thursday. After breakfast I watched Annie at home so Vanessa could pick Beech up at school and take him to a lunch with one of his classmates and his mom, and afterward she took him shopping to buy supplies for the Sand Art class she and Julian are going to teach on Thursday. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Lantana. It is an Australian film made in 2001. It is a mystery and psycho drama that is OK. I give it three stars. I looked Lantana up in the dictionary, and it is a tropical flowering bush, which I assume is what plays a background part in the movie.

Message 732

Yesterday I did two loads of laundry and my weekly Safeway shopping. I went to dinner at Sultanas with Carol, Roland's friend from the dinner group. Afterward we watched a DVD of Millers Crossing. which is not only a five star film, but the Cohen brothers best work. Charlie Rose had a repeat of a Neil Young show, which was still good though..