Message 227

Yesterday I took Beech to lunch. We tried to go to his gymnastics class after lunch, but it was closed for the holiday season.

Last night Joshua, whose work is also closed down for the holiday season, brought Mexican food and we watched the Sharks beat Dallas, and then we watched the Golden State Warriors beat the Toronto Raptors. What an unusual couple of days. All four of our local professional sports teams won their games.

Message 226

Yesterday I watched four football games. It was an unusual weekend. The Raiders and the 49ers both won. Julian came over and brought tacos to eat while we watched the 49er game. We also switched back and forth to the Jet Miami game too.In the evening I watched the San Diego Denver game.

After the football was over I watched PBS and saw a Nature show on the Snow Leopard and then Great Expectations, an old black and white classic directed by David Lean and with John Mills and Alec Guinness as young men. It was quite good. I give it five stars.

Message 225

Last night after I watched the Sharks lose to St. Louis in an overtime shootout, I watched a DVD of the movie Prozac Nation. It was very well done, but I only give it three stars because it is not much fun for me to watch dysfunctional family dynamics and depressed people being their own worst enemies. I appreciate that it is a true story, but having lived through many of the same types of experiences myself, I do not have much sympathy with people who stubbornly refuse to try to help themselves.

Anyway the sun is shining here, and Julian is going to come over today and watch football with me. Maybe Joshua will come too.

Message 224

Beech and I did get our haircuts yesterday, so we should be OK for a couple of more months.

Last night I watched a DVD of the movie Factory girl. It was very well done, and it was based on a true story, but it was such an unpleasant subject that I only give it three stars. It was about a troubled rich girl who goes to New York and becomes famous as one of Andy Wharhol group. She ODs when she is 28, so it amounted to a short unhappy life.

I am waiting for a call to join Helen and Jim at Starbucks. They are going up to Napa for a couple of days after coffee.

Message 223

I had dinner yesterday at Maureen's. Her whole family were there. Josh was invited too, but he has a bad cold and felt like he had better stay home and rest up.

Last night I watched the commentary on the movie Ray. It was quite interesting. I was very impressed by the movie.

I may try to get a haircut today. I don't know if the barbershop will be open though.

Message 222

Merry Christmas! I am writing this before I go up to have breakfast with Julian and his family. The place we went for breakfast yesterday was not very good, but the movie Australia yesterday was nice. I give it three stars. I was an old-fashioned movie, three hours long, and a grand spectacle. The good people were good and the villains were bad. The scenery was grand. The aboriginal people were all heroic and noble.

Last night I watched a DVD of the movie Ray. It was excellent. I give it five stars. I never heard of Ray Charles until 1963, and I never owned one of his records, but I was familiar with most of his music that was featured in the film. As a musical biopic, it was very well done.

Message 221

I am going to breakfast and the movie Australia today with Helen and Jim and Joan and Dave Abrams, the people I have coffee with on Saturdays. I will let you know tomorrow what I think of the movie.

Last night Joshua came over and brought in burgers from Dutch Goose to eat while we watched the Sharks game. The beat Vancouver 5-0. They scored five goals within 2 minutes of the start of the second period, and then coasted for the rest of the game.