Message 481

I just got back from refilling my antibiotic prescription at PAMF. I also just realized that I forgot to take my Boniva pill yesterday, so I think I will just take it next Sunday instead. Yesterday I watched football with Beech and Julian. It was great to have the Raiders and 49er both win. In the evening I went to San Mateo and joined everyone again for the regular Sunday family dinner. In the evening I watched another Inspector Lewis episode on Masterpiece Mystery on PBS.

Message 480

Yesterday I met Helen and Jim at Starbucks and then did my Safeway shopping for the week. During the day I read about half of The Economist. I had dinner in Los Gatos with Jason and Susan and the girls. In the evening I watched a DVD of a French Canadian movie the translated title of which was Heart of Stone. It was about life on the frontier about two hundred years ago. It reminded me of my life in Alaska. It was a pretty heavy story with people doing bad things and girls dying, but it was pretty realistic. I prefer upbeat stories, but I give this one three stars.

Message 479

Yesterday I went out to dinner and a movie with the Morrills and Ariagnos. We went to Sultana and then to Palo Alto Square to see the movie Amreeka (which is the Arab word for America). It is about a 16-year old Palestinian boy and his mother who come to the Chicago suburbs. They stay with relatives and have lots of troubles adjusting to the new world, but they hang in there and gradually find their way. I give it three stars.

Message 478

Yesterday afternoon I picked Beech up at his school and took him to his Kung Fu class. Afterward we went next door for our pizza. He was willing to limit himself this time to the allotted two dollar limit for games. He may be beginning to understand that he would be better off financially if he bought the stuffed animals in a store.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the Canadian movie with the translated title The Barbarian Invasions. It is in French with English subtitles. It is very good and deals with all of the important subjects, and it is full of literary and historical references, but they are hard to catch from the subtitles. It is centered around a dying old man surrounded by his family and friends, but it is basically a celebration of his life and includes a lot of humor. I give it 4.5 stars.

Message 477 (the other messsage has a typo)

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Vanessa and Annie. Annie was real good today. Yesterday I worked so more on my memoirs. I am in the tenth grade now. Last night I watched a DVD of the movie The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. It is a holocaust story told through the eyes of the eight-year-old son of death camp administrator. It is very well done. I give it four stars.

Message 476

Yesterday I finished this week's The Economist, and I also read the new Science. In the evening I watched a DVD of an Italian movie whose title in translation is I'm Not Scared. It is about small children out in the country, mostly boys, one of whom finds another ten-year-old boy who has been kidnapped and is being held prisoner at an abandoned farm. The scenery is beautiful, and it has a happy ending. I give it three stars.

Message 475

Yesterday about noon Dennis Rohan called me and said he had a couple of tickets to the Giants game and he would like to take me as his guest. I had been planning to watch the Raiders play San Diego on Monday Night Football, but I decided I should be sociable and accept the invitation. We took the train both ways. Tim Lincicomb was pitching, so it was wonderful to see him in action. He looks like a young boy, but he is really good. The Giants won against Colorado, who they are chasing trying to get in the playoffs, so the game was fun to watch. Also, it did not get cold, so I could have managed without my jacket, although I am glad I had it. On the train on the way home, we learned that the Raiders had lost at the last minute, so I am glad I went to the ball game.