Message 1199

Yesterday I watched three NFL games as usual on Sunday. I saw the Vikings win the morning game, although I can not remember their opponent. Josh brought in sandwiches and watched the 49ers beat Cleveland with me in the afternoon. In the evening I watched the Eagles beat the Cowboys, which I enjoyed because Dallas barely beat the 49ers for their only loss this season, so far. Later I watched Masterpiece Mystery on PBS, which was the last of three episodes in this series. I have already done a load of laundry this morning. Now I need to hand it out to dry. I have also clipped my fingernails, a chore that I have to tend to every few weeks. I feel good today.

Message 1198

Yesterday Josh brought in food from Boston Market and watched hockey and football with me. The Sharks beat the New York Islanders in overtime and Stanford beat USC in triple overtime. I had to leave to go to a movie with Larry and Judi before the end of the Stanford game, so it was not until after the movie that I learned that Stanford had won. The Raiders have a bye this week, but Josh is coming over this afternoon to watch the 49ers play Cleveland with me. The movie I saw with Larry and Judi was called Take Shelter. Judi picked it because it was well reviewed in our local paper, but we all thought it was terrible. I do not find mental illness entertaining, nor is it interesting to be shown that bad things happen to people. I give it one star. I feel good today.

Message 1197

I met Helen and Jim at Starbucks this morning for the first time in about a month. They had some surprising news that they have bought a house near Sacramento and will be moving there in January. Helen has decided to retire, and join Jim in playing golf on the course near their new house. I forgot to mention in yesterday’s message that I watched a Netflix DVD Thursday night called Love and Other Drugs. It was about a girl who has Parkinson’s disease and her boyfriend who is a salesman for a pharmaceutical company. It was kind of a downer, so I did not care much for it and give it only 2.4 stars.

Last night I went to dinner and a movie with the Morrills and the Ariagnos. We saw In Time, a sort of science fiction movie which has a message that life should be lived as if every minute could be your last. Time is used as money, and rich people can live forever, but poor people die when their time runs out at about age 26. The method for getting more time is rigged in favor of the rich people, so it is supposed to represent the current economic system. Anyway I did not care much for it, so I give it only 2.4 stars. I was glad that the Cardinals won the world series, and also the Sharks the Redwings last night. They are having a good road trip. I feel good today.

Message 1196

This is another late message. This morning I took a shower and went to PAMF to get a new catheter. After that I went to get a haircut. I have just finished watching the News Hour, and I am getting ready to pick u the Morrills and Ariagnos for dinner and a movie. I am going to miss watching the Sharks game and the World Series final game. I hope both the Sharks and the Cardinals win. I feel good today.

Message 1194

Yesterday Josh brought in fish and chips and watched hockey with me. The Sharks beat Nashville 3-1. Logan Cotour scored a short-handed goal in the first period, and Pavelski scored and empty netter at the end to put it out of reach. Shortly after the game was over my internet connection went out, so I read more on my Kindle until bedtime. The internet connection had not been re-established when I turned in, but it is back this morning, so I will need to watch Charlie Rose at noon today. I feel good today.

Message 1195

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi’s Pies with Reggie. Henry left yesterday to go back to the east coast to tend to his family matters, and Vanessa called me this morning to say she could not make it this week. With Halloween coming up she is too busy doing things with the kids. She took them to Half Moon Bay yesterday to let them get pumpkins. Last night I watched a French DVD from Netflix called French Cancan. It was made in 1956 and is not much known in the US. It is light hearted and interesting in a historical way. It is the first time I have seen Edith Piaf although I have heard about her for years. I give he movie three stars. I feel good today. I had such a big breakfast I am going to skip lunch today. I plan to work some more on my memoirs, which I have managed to do a few times over the last couple of weeks. It is a slow process, but I try to keep at it.

Message 1193

Yesterday I watched Monday Night Football and was surprised to see Jacksonville beat Baltimore, although it was a low scoring game. Afterward I watched a Netflix DVD of the BBC bio-pic Byron. It was very well done although I was not familiar with any of the cast except Vanessa Redgrave, who played an elderly aunt. Anyway Byron was a strange character who made a mess of his life while writing his poetry. I had forgotten most of what I learned about him when I took English literature, so it was interesting to be reminded of it all. I give it 4 stars. My blood pressure today is 110/71 with a heart rate of 58. I feel good today.

Message 1192

I just finished filling out and putting a stamp on my absentee ballot. Yesterday I watched two NFL games. The 49ers had a Bye week and the Raiders were shut out by Kansas City. Josh came over and watched the Raiders with me, but he left before it was over. It was too painful to watch. In the evening I watched the Colts lose to New Orleans by a lopsided score. In the evening I watched 60 minutes which had interesting stuff about Steve Jobs. Then I switched to PBS and watched a Nature show followed by Masterpiece Mystery. It was another episode of last week’s new series, but I am getting used to it now and was able to follow it a little better.

Message 1191

The Economist came on Friday again, so yesterday I was able to read it. In the afternoon I watched the Sharks beat Boston 4-2. The Sharks scored a goal in each of the first two periods, and then had a lapse and let Boston score twice in 29 seconds. They then scored twice in the third period, including an empty netter be Marleau at the end. I also watched Stanford beat Washington badly in the evening. Afterward I watched a Netflix DVD called Copying Beethoven. It was an imaginary story about a woman who copies scores, but the music is so good I give it 3 stars. The 49ers have a bye this week, so I am watching Atlanta vs. Detroit. I feel good today.

Message 1190

I have already done a load of laundry and hung it out to dry this morning. Yesterday Joshua came over and watched the end of the Sharks game with me. After the Sharks let New Jersey go ahead by two goals in the first period it looked like they were doomed again, but then they scored two quick goal in the second period to tie it up. In the third period New Jersey scored again and with only a few seconds remaining in the game the Sharks pulled their goalie and Pavelski was able to tie the game. The Sharks then won in an overtime shootout. After the game I went to a movie with Larry and Judi. We saw Margin Call, which was very good. I had seen an interview with the actor/producer on Tavis Smiley in the afternoon, so I was already favorably disposed to the movie. I give it 4 stars. Afterwards we had dinner at a nearby Turkish restaurant.

Message 1189

This morning I have already gone to the bank to get some more cash and done my Safeway shopping. Also I have updated my checkbook balance. A new roof is being put on my building, so a lot of men are up there stomping around. Last night I watched a Netflix DVD of the movie Cracks. I am not sure where the title came from, but it is about a girls school in Britain in 1934, so I leave it to you to speculate. It was similar in some ways to The Lord of the Flies and to The Prime of Miss Jean Broody. It was well done, but with a cast that was entirely unknown to me. I give it three stars. I feel good today.

Message 1188

I just got back from Heidi’s Pies. Reggie was there but Henry was in los Angeles on family business. Vanessa joined us and had coffee, but she insisted on picking up the check even though she did not eat anything. Yesterday Joshua and I watched the Cardinals win game one of the World Series. We were happy with the outcome. I am sure Ethan and Alex must be happy too. Afterward I watched a couple of PBS shows about extraterrestrial life. I was glad to hear on the radio while I was driving to San Mateo that Quadafi is dead now.

Message 1187

Yesterday I read more on my Kindle. In the Evening I watched a French movie with the translated title of Brotherhood of the Wolf. I had seen it before a long time ago, but I had forgotten most of it. It is a fantasy epic set in the middle ages, but it is not very well done. I give it 2.5 stars. My blood pressure today is 101/69 with a heart rate of 62, which is good. I feel good too.

Message 1186

Last night Joshua brought over food from Boston Market and watched the Sharks game with me. The Sharks lost to Anaheim 2-3, so the Sharks have won only one game all year, which is very disappointing to us all, but, of course it is early in the season. Look at what the St Louis Cardinals have done in baseball. Just like what the Giants did last year. I hope the Cardinals can win the World Series too. I read some more on my Kindle yesterday too. I feel good today.

Message 1185

Yesterday Joshua brought in Burgers and pizza and watched football with me. we were delighted to see both
the 49ers and Raiders win. The 49ers beat Detroit in a tough, hard fought game and the Raiders won easily against Cleveland. Josh left after these games, but I also watched the Bears beat the Vikings. In the evening I watched a Nature program and a new Masterpiece Mystery on PBS. The mystery was two hours long and very complicated, so I never did understand who did what to whom and why, but I watched it anyway and enjoyed it. I feel good today.

Message 1184

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist. In the afternoon Beech came over for a while and put together his new Leggo Starship. I was very impressed that he was able to read and follow the instructions. In the evening Josh came over with Mexican food and watched the Sharks lose to the St. Louis Blues. They lost 2-4 including an empty netter at the end. I also read some more on my Kindle. My blood pressure is 126/75 with a heart rate of 72. I feel good today.

Message 1183

The Economist came yesterday back on schedule again. I guess the post office has gotten its act together again. Last night I watched the Sharks lose to Anaheim 0-1. The only goal was scored by a rookie on the fourth line in the first period. Joshua was planning to watch with me, but after the first period he called and said he couldn’t make it, but he said he would be here to watch tonight’s game with me. My blood pressure today is 131/79 with a heart rate of 60, which is a little higher than usual, but not too bad. I feel good today.

Message 1182

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s message that I went out to dinner with Jason, Caroline, and Ellie. We tried to go to The Dutch Goose, but it was too crowded, so we went to Jeffrey’s where Kens Pancake House used to be. It was good to see them. I finished reading The Economist yesterday, and in the evening I watched disk 2 of Hung. I went to bed early, so I will watch Charlie Rose at noon today. I got my absentee ballot yesterday, and I am debating whether to vote or not. It is a bunch of school board elections and such, but I don’t know anything about the candidates. so I wonder if it is worth putting two stamps on it to send it in. I feel good today.

Message 1181

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi’s Pies with Reggie, and Henry. Vanessa and Annie stopped in to say hello, but they did not eat. They were on the way to Annie’s school. The Economist came yesterday instead of last Friday, so the post office is now running six days late. When it is this late the news is six days old, so it is less interesting to read and I end up skimming a lot of the articles. Liz sent me a copy of the DVD she made for Ethan’s 50th birthday, and I really enjoyed seeing the pictures and hearing the music. I feel good today.

Message 1180

This message is late because my cable connection has been down all day until now. I did my Safeway shopping this morning. Last night I watched disk 1 of the HBO series “Hung.” It is a combination of comedy and social commentary. Even though it is about sex, the sex scenes do not amount to much. I also read more on my Kindle yesterday. I feel good today.

Message 1179

Yesterday I finished reading “Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World” by Michael Lewis. It was a quick read and very interesting. I then started on “The System of the World” by Neal Stephenson, the third part of his Baroque series. In the evening I watched Detroit beat the Bears on Monday Night Football. Detroit won and will clearly be a tough opponent for the 49ers on December 18th. The Bears will also be a tough opponent on 27 November. My blood pressure this morning is 111/73 with a heart rate of 70. These are good numbers. I feel good today.

Message 1178

As usual on Sundays this time of year, I watched three NFL games yesterday, except this time Josh was not able to join me because he had to ride the bus to Tahoe with his work colleagues for a three day meeting to discuss their business plans. I watched the Raiders beat Houston in a very close game in the morning. then in the afternoon I watched the 49ers humiliate Tampa Bay. The 49ers are finally returning to their old form, and Alex Smith is looking good. In the late afternoon I watched Green Bay beat Atlanta. In the evening I watched a Nature program about desert lions and then Inspector Lewis on PBS. I feel good today.

Message 1177

Yesterday I finished the Neal Stephenson book on my Kindle and instead of starting the third book in the series I downloaded the new Michael Lewis book “Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World.” I am now reading the chapter on Iceland. Josh came over and watched the opening game of the Sharks regular season. Joe Pavelski scored the first goal and almost had a hat trick. The Sharks won 6-3, so maybe this will finally be their year. They have a bunch of new players which may give them a better chance. I feel good today.

Message 1176

Last night I went to dinner and a movie with Larry and Judi. We ate at the Fish Market and then went to see the new George Clooney movie The Ides of March. It happened that I had just watched the Charlie Rose interview with George Clooney about the movie.. It was based on a play and the title had been changed, so that although the action took place on 15 March it had nothing to do with Julius Caesar or Shakespeare. It was about sleazy doings of candidates and their staffs during political campaigns. It was reasonably well done and had a good cast, but I give it only three stars because it was too one-dimensional. I feel good today.

Message 1175

Yesterday after Heidi’s Pies I watched my usual PBS news shows and read quite a bit more on my Kindle. I am about 90 percent finished with the second book in the Neal Stephenson series, so I should be able to finish it pretty soon. We had about a half inch of rain over the last couple of days and the mountains got about a foot of snow around Tahoe, but it is going to warm up again for the next few days. I feel good today.

Message 1174

I just got back from Heidi’s Pies where I had breakfast with Reggie, Henry, and Vanessa. Henry recently returned from the east coast where he has been taking care of some of his family who need help. After breakfast I went to Annie’s school to read the kids a story. Annie is one of the big kids now at the school now. Last night I watched the last disk of The Big C. I was disappointed in how it ended, but as I said when it started, it is tough to make a comedy about a woman who has terminal cancer. I turned in early last night so I could get up early to go to breakfast. I feel good today.

Message 1173

I did not watch Charlie Rose Monday night, so I watched him yesterday at noon. He had an hour-long interview with Michael Lewis, who has published a new book called “Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World.” At first they talked about the new Brad Pitt movie made from Moneyball, but the most interesting part was about his new book. Any of you who are interested in the financial situation and can spare an hour, especially Julian, I recommend you visit the Charlie Rose website and watch it. It is very interesting to hear about Iceland and Ireland and Greece in particular. Last night I watched the last part of Prohibition on PBS. It is a very informative series. I also read some more on my Kindle.

Message 1172

Yesterday I read some more on my Kindle. In the evening Joshua brought over fish and chips and onion rings and watched Monday Night Football with me. The Colts led most of the game, but Tampa Bay ended up winning by a touchdown. Afterward I watched Part 2 of Prohibition on PBS. It was interesting and had a lot of details that I did not know. Politics was as crazy then as it is now. I feel good today. M blood pressure is 106/63 with a heart rate of 64, which is what I think of as normal now.

Message 1171

I watched three NFL games yesterday. I watched the 49er struggle in the first half and go down 3-20 against the Eagles. Then in the second half they got their act together and won the game 24-23. I then watched the Raiders beat themselves against New England. Jason and Josh came over and brought food and watched with me until they left to go to San Francisco to watch the free Gomez concert. Finally, I watched the Ravens beat the Jets when all scoring was by the defense of both teams. In the evening I watched 60 Minutes on CBS, then Part One of Prohibition on PBS, the new Ken Burns documentary. Tonight I will watch Part two. I also finished reading The Economist for this week. I feel good today.

Message 1169

Yesterday I had the stiches removed from the back of my hand where the squamous cell skin cancer was removed. In the late afternoon I went to dinner and a movie with the Morrills and Ariagnos. We ate at the Sundance Mining Company where we all had the prime rib special except for Marci, who had the salmon from the regular menu. For the movie we went to the Palo Alto Square to see Road To Nowhere which was part of the Palo Alto International Film Festival. The movie was terrible and I give it zero stars because it was so boring and incomprehensible. It was a typical art movie that made a point of referencing famous classic films and used the old device of making a film within a film. They charged a high price for the tickets and would not accept credit cards. I feel good today.

Message 1170

Yesterday I went to lunch with Julian and his kids. We had Mexican food in the Safeway area at the corner of Middle Avenue and El Camino Real. During the day I read about half of The Economist that is again coming on its usual schedule. I guess the Post Office is getting back to normal. I also watched disk two of season one of The Big C. Laura Linney is still doing a good job. I feel good today. I am watching the pre-game show. It is almost time for the game between the 49ers and the Eagles. I feel good today.