Message 969

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist. I went to San Mateo for dinner. Julian fixed spaghetti, which is my favorite. In the evening I watched Episode 4 of Downton Abbey on PBS. This is the last episode for this season, but I was glad to see the message that Season 2 is now in production, so their will be more to come.

Message 968

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s message that on Friday I felt well enough to write some more on my memoirs for the first time in several weeks. I mentioned in Thursday’s message the Vanessa and I swapped cars so that she could drive more kids to Chinatown in San Francisco on their field trip. When I got home I parked her van in the outside parking lot here at Menlo Commons about noon. She had planned to be back from the field trip and to come here to swap cars about 1 PM, but she was delayed, so we arranged to meet at Starbucks to swap Saturday morning. When I went out to go to Starbucks I found that the driver-side window had been smashed, with shattered glass on the driver’s seat and on the floor plus on the outside of the car in the parking lot. So far as I could see, nothing was missing, but she discovered later that they had stolen her GPS device out of the glove box. I called the Menlo Park police, but was told that there was nothing they could do if we did not have the serial number of the device, which we didn’t have. Anyway, in the afternoon I swept up the glass from the parking lot.

Yesterday I reading half of The Economist. I also watched a DVD of the 1993 movie The Vanishing, in which Jeff Bridges plays a a psychopathic kidnapper and murderer. I considered it too bizarre to be taken seriously. I give it 2.2 stars. In the evening I watched the PBS Saturday night movie Charade, with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. Audrey Hepburn was delightful to watch, as always, but the movie was mostly a silly farce, so I give it only 2.5 stars.

Message 967

I am late today because I just got back from filling my antibiotic prescription at PAMF. This morning I met Helen and Jim, Joan and David, and Vanessa at Starbucks. Afterward I did my weekly Safeway shopping. Last night after the Friday night PBS shows I watched a DVD of the movie The Last Picture Show. I had seen it before in about 1970 when it first came out, but I had forgotten almost all of it. It was the movie that made Peter Bogdanovich famous. It had an all star cast, virtually all of which were unknown at the time, including Jeff Bridges, Tim Bottoms and his brother, Cybil Shepard, Ellen Burstyn, Randy Quaid, and Ben Johnson, among others. None of these people were known to me when I first saw it. Also it was based on a book by Larry McMurtry, whom I also had not heard of at the time. I agree with the opinion that it is now a classic. I give it five stars.

Message 966

Yesterday I went to PAMF and met with my urologist. It was nice to see him again, and he reassured me that I was doing as well as could be expected given all I have been through. He thought I looked good and said he thought I would continue to manage to get along. I finished reading The Shock Doctrine; The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein on my Kindle. The last quarter of the book was references and footnotes, so I finished sooner than I expected.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the old black and white movie The Night of the Hunter. I had never seen the whole thing but when I lived in Alaska it was shown often on TV. I did not have a TV, but I occasionally saw parts of it at other peoples houses. It was directed by Charles Laughton in 1956, and it had a great cast, including Robert Mitchum as the mass murdering preacher who marries Shelly Winters, the widow of a man who was hung for murder and robbery. He kills her and tries to get her two kids to tell him where their father hid the money he stole. The boy and girl escape down the river in their father’s old boat, where Lillian Gish eventually takes them in to join the other orphaned and abandoned children she cares for. Mitchum shows up in relentless pursuit and tries to get the children, but she calls the police, so he eventually get lynched by the enraged townspeople. It is a quaint and old-fashioned movie by modern standards, but it is very powerful. I give it five stars.

Message 965

I just got back from Heidi’s Pies having breakfast with Annie, Reggie, and Henry. Vanessa and I switched cars so she could take more kids from Beech’s class on a field trip in my bigger car (van). I dropped Annie at Maureen’s afterward. Last night we had a great birthday dinner for Beech at Ten Fu. We had 18 people, including Jason, Caroline, and Ellie, Jamie, Chelsea, Audrey, and Jack, Julian, Vanessa, Annie, and Beech, Vanessa’s brother’s wife Liz and her two kids (Vivian and Jessie), Maureen and Gary, and Joshua. Maureen brought a cake for everyone with trick candles that would not blow out so Julian eventually had to dunk them in a glass of water. Beech was thrilled with all of his presents. After dinner I got home in time to watch the third period of the Sharks game against LA. The Sharks were ahead 2-1 at the start of period 3, but the ended up losing in an overtime shootout.

Message 964

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s message that I watched a PBS documentary about building the Panama Canal. It was very interesting. Yesterday I watched Obama’s State of the Union speech. As usual, I thought he did a great job. Afterward I watched a DVD of the movie Inception. Julian had watched this movie on his flight to Tokyo a few weeks ago and asked what I thought about it. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page (of Juno fame), and was well made. It was a very complex thriller, but it mostly was about dreams and the question of what is reality and how do you tell the difference between dreams (or fantasies) and reality. It gets so convoluted that it is hard to follow at times, but it is entertaining. I give it three stars. I also read Science yesterday. It had an interesting article about analyzing all the words in the millions of books that Google has scanned to give a quantitative measure of cultural trends.

Message 963

Last night I watched a DVD of the movie Quicksand. It was a thriller set in southern France. It was a little different because it did not have much violence, and it had a good cast, including Michael Keaton and Michael Caine. I give it three stars. I also read a lot on my Kindle.

Message 962

Yesterday I watched the two NFL Conference Championship games. They were both good games. I was glad to see Green Bay win over Chicago, but I would rather have seen the Jets win over the Steelers. Joshua watched the games with me. He brought in a pizza and salad and a burger for lunch. In the evening I watched PBS, including the third episode of Downton Abbey. I also read some more on my Kindle.

Message 961

Helen and Jim could not make it, so I did not go to Starbucks yesterday. I did my Safeway shopping though and finished reading The Economist. In the evening I watched the Sharks beat Minnesota 4-3. It was a good game, and Setoguchi scored two goals. This is the Sharks fourth win in a row, so they are starting to climb out of the hole they dug when the lost six in a row. It’s a tough league this year.

Message 960

Yesterday I went out to dinner and a movie with the Morrills and the Ariagnos. We saw Barney’s Version. It was a wonderful movie with a great cast. I give it five stars. After the movie I read some more on my Kindle and watched Charlie Rose.

Message 959

Last night Josh came over and brought burgers and watched the Sharks game with me. They beat Edmonton 2-1 in a shootout with The Big Pavelski (which he prefers to Little Joe) scoring the winning goal. I also read some more on my Kindle.'

Message 958

My doctor asked me to get a chest x-ray just in case it shows something. I feel sure it will show nothing. Julian is in New York this week, and Beech has been sick with the flu all week, so Vanessa took him to PAMF and got a prescription. She also saw a doctor for her foot, which she thought had a piece of glass in it, but the doctor said there was no glass. Instead she is going to have an operation to remove the nerve. She has had a lot of trouble with her feet for years. I took Annie with me to Heidi’s Pies this morning and had breakfast with Reggie and Henry. Annie was real good and ate all of her breakfast, including two scrambled eggs, a mickey mouse pancake, two strips of bacon, a cup of fruit, and a glass of orange juice. She also watched her Baby Einstein DVD. She was super good today.

Last night I watched a DVD of the movie The Big Empty. It was an allegory about the human condition, always strange and sometimes funny. I give it 3 stars. I also read some more on my Kindle.

Message 957

Yesterday I had an appointment with my doctor at PAMF. She was concerned that my weight is now down to 166 pounds, But she was not concerned that my height was down to 5 ft. 11.5 inches, so I have shrunk 2.5 inches. She persuaded me to get a chest x-ray and some more blood tests, plus she wants me to have an endoscopic exam of my stomach. I am also slightly anemic. I reluctantly agreed to all of this even though I think I have just lost weight because I am not hungry and do not eat much.

Yesterday I also read the new Science and watched a DVD of the movie The Punisher. I did not realize it was based on a comic book when I ordered it, but it was not too bad. Mostly it had lots of violence. I give it 2.8 stars.

Message 956

Yesterday Julian brought Beech and Annie and shared Taco Bell take out with me. They could not stay long so after they left Josh came over and watched an afternoon game between the Sharks and Phoenix. The Sharks won 4-2, including an empty netter by Thornton at the end. They have won two in a row now, so maybe the are getting their groove back. In the evening I read some more on my Kindle. I am now half way through the book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein. It is very good.

Message 955

Yesterday I watched the other two NFL playoff games. I watched Chicago beat Seattle and the Jets beat New England. I was surprised to see the Jets win, but they outplayed the Patriots. In the evening I watched a Nature show about Ellesmere Island and the Part 2 (out of 4) of the new Masterpiece Theater, sort of a Jane Austin costume drama just before World War 1 dealing with how women were treated so badly by the inheritance laws. I also read

Message 954

Yesterday I watched two NFL playoff games. I watched Pittsburgh beat Baltimore and Green Bay beat Atlanta. In the evening I watched beat St. Louis and break their six-game losing streak. I am now watching Seattle get creamed by Chicago. I guess it is too hard for Seattle to get up for two games in a row. They beat New Orleans last week, and that was the high point of their season. I also finished The Economist yesterday.

Message 953

I just got back fro meeting Helen and Jim at Starbucks. Afterward I did my weekly Safeway shopping. Last night I read about half of The Economist and then watched Charlie Rose.

Message 952

Last night I went out to dinner with the Morrills and Ariagnos. After dinner we went to the Ariagnos’ house for lemon bars. By the time I got home the Sharks had already lost their sixth game in a row. I had to interrupt writing this message because Orlindo’s cleaning crew came to clean the condo. I went down to the common room and read my Kindle for a while. Then I went to the Dutch Goose and ate a cheeseburger with a soda. When I got back I reassembled all the things I had put away to help the cleaning crew. Then I watched the afternoon PBS news shows.

Message 951

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi’s Pies. Reggie, Henry, Vanessa, and Annie were all there today. Annie was very good today. Afterward I went across the street and bought a new pair of gloves at Men’s Warehouse. I tried to buy a new car coat too, but they did not have one. Therefore I am washing my old one, which was starting to stink. Yesterday I watched Obama’s speech in Tucson, and I was very moved. We are so lucky to have him as our president. I also watched a DVD of the movie, Step Into Liquid. It was a documentary movie about surfing. I have seen several such movies, and this one ranks up there with the other good ones, starting with The Endless Summer and more recently Riding Giants. I give it 4 stars.

Message 950

Yesterday I watched a DVD of the French movie Marie Antoinette. It was lushly produced and dwelled on the absurd manners and customs of the French court. It was well done, but rather boring. I give it 2.8 stars. I watched another historical biopic DVD called Agora a few days ago that I forgot to mention. It was about Hypatha, a woman who ran a school in Alexandria about 400 AD who figured out that the earth’s orbit is an ellipse, and not a circle, but the Christians killed her and destroyed most of her library. It too was rather boring, so I give it only 2.8 stars also.

Last night I watched the Sharks lose again, this time to Toronto. the team thiat is coached by the Sharks ex-coach. Even though Marleau scored the first goal, and later scored a second, the Sharks lost 2-4, including an empty netter scored by the Mapleleafs at the end. Also the Shark’s best rookie was injured by a dirty hit.

Message 949

Yesterday I had a quiet day at home and did laundry. In the afternoon/evening I watched Oregon lose to Auburn in the college championship bowl. It was a close and tough game that Auburn won with a tie breaking field goal on the last play of the game. After that I watched a PBS show about Ulysses S. Grant.

Message 948

Yesterday I watched Green Bay beat Philadelphia in the NFL playoffs. Afterward Josh came over and brought burgers and watched the Sharks lose to the Ducks 0-1 with me. NHL games are getting as hard to predict as the NFL. Any team is likely to win any given game. After the hockey game I watched a Nature show on PBS about the people who lived the Born Free story and helped make the movie and what happened afterward. After that I watched the new Masterpiece episode on PBS about titled British having to marry rich Americans in order to keep their estates afloat, and how the women then get cut out of the inheritance.

Message 947

I am feeling better today. Yesterday I drove to Los Gatos to give Susan her birthday envelope and have dinner at Live Oak Kitchen. I had the bacon cheeseburger. It was good to see everybody, but Amelia was doing her school flag thing, so she was not able to join us. When I got home I finished reading The Economist.

Messgae 946

Yesterday I went to PAMF and had a urine test and a blood test. I couldn’t see my regular doctor, but the one I saw was very nice. In the evening after the Friday PBS shows I read half of The Economist. After Charlie Rose I went to bed. I just ate the soup that Vanessa brought me from Max’s a couple of days ago. I just found a $20-bill under the computer chair. I think Josh must have dropped it when he watched the Sharks game with me on Thursday.

Message 945

Thanks to exhortations by Susan, Julie, and Liz I am scheduled to go to PAMF this afternoon to see a doctor and have blood and urine tests. Last night Joshua brought in Chinese food and watched the Sharks game with me. The food and company were good, but the game was terrible. The Sharks were shut out by Buffalo 0-3. After the game I read some more on my Kindle.

Message 944

I stayed in bed all day yesterday, but I feel much better today. Liz called and bugged me to see my doctor, so I have an appointment for 18 January, the earliest available. I think I will be all right until then. I did not eat any food yesterday, but I drank a couple of cans of soda. I had a good breakfast this morning though, so I feel much better. Thank you all for your calls. I might have been able to make it to Heidi’s Pies this morning, but I thought it better to play it safe and skip it.

Message 943

Here it is about 105 PM and I am just getting my message off for today. I got up about 10 AM and had some orange juice and fruit, but I felt so lousy that I lay down and did not get up until a few minutes ago. I always feel bad in the morning, by which I mean queasy and light headed, but usually it passes and I feel pretty good as the day goes on. Tomorrow I am scheduled to meet the gang at Heidi’s Pies, but I am starting to think that I am going to have to tell them I am going to have to drop out of the group. It is just getting too hard to get going in the morning.

Yesterday I went to Nealon Park with Vanessa and Annie about noon and ate a lunch that Vanessa had prepared along with a coffee that she picked up at Peet’s. The weather was nice and Annie played up a storm in the sand box. It was a lot of fun. In the evening I watched Disk 4 of Season 2 of Dollhouse and read a lot more on my Kindle.

It is time now for me to catheterize. I do it twice a day now, roughly at 1 AM after Charlie Rose and then again about 1 PM, which seems to be working out pretty well. I just threw up, so Maybe I have the flu. I think I will lie down again.

Message 942

Yesterday I watched Stanford beat Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. The whole Stanford team looked really good. I wish the 49ers could find a way to get Andrew Luck to play quarterback for them, but I don’t see how it could happen. I also got quite a bit more read on my Kindle.

Message 941

Yesterday I watched three NFL games. The Raiders beat Kansas City again, but it did not do any good. The 49ers beat Arizona again, but that did no good either. Finally Seattle beat St. Louis. The 49ers beat Seattle a couple of weeks ago, so why could they not beat St. Louis last week when it would have done them some good? That’s sports for you. In the evening I watched My Boy Jack on Masterpiece Theater on PBS. It was based on the true story of how Rudyard Kipling bullied his son and the government in World War 1 to get him to serve in the military in spite of the fact that his eyes were so bad he could not pass the eye test. Of course he got killed and everybody felt sad, and Kipling finally realized he had killed his own son to serve his own manly fantasies.

I also finished reading The girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest on my Kindle. I then downloaded a nonfiction book called The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, and I have now read about 10 percent of it. This book was recommended to me by Chris Coleman, my friend in Australia.

Message 940

I forgot to watch the Sharks game last night, so it was not until I watched the news at 11 PM that I learned that they beat LA 1-0 in LA, the same team that beat the Sharks 0-6 in San Jose a few days ago. Instead I watched Disk 3 of Season 2 of Dollhouse. I also did my Safeway shopping. I did a lot of napping too, so I feel pretty good today. I am almost finished with my Kindle book too, so it will be time to download a new one soon.

Message 939

Happy New Year to you all! Yesterday I had a nice quiet New Year’s Eve at home. I am getting near the end of the book on my Kindle and I got started on the week’s The Economist. I enjoy napping off and on throughout the day. Helen and Jim are spending the weekend in Monterey, so no Starbucks today.