Message 595

Yesterday morning I walked up to Starbuck and met Vanessa and Annie and Maureen for coffee. The rain had stopped for a while, and the storm had brought in some warmer air, so it was very pleasant.

Yesterday afternoon I reserved the big house at Northstar for our reunion this summer. I have also reserved a 4-bedroom, 2-bath condo, so we will have plenty of room. Have any of you reserved any thing? I do not think we will need any more space, but let me know if you have so we can plan on how to spread people around. Ginny decided to rent a condo instead of the house she said originally that she wanted, so I took the one at 1503 Logging Trail for us. It will be the band house too.

Last night Joshua brought in pizza and watched the Sharks game with me. They beat Phoenix 3-1, so we were happy with the outcome. Joshua is driving to the mountains tonight so he can ski on Thursday. I did not watch a DVD last night.

Message 594

Last night Joshua brought in meals from Boston Market and watched the hockey game with me. The Sharks beat the LA Kings 2-1. After the game I finished reading the book that Ethan and Julie and Alex gave me titled The Shadow Factory and subtitled The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America by James Bamford. It is a very good and disturbing history of NSA and is a worthy follow-on to his previous book Body of Secrets.

Message 593

Yesterday I watched the two NFL playoff games. The Arizona game against Green Bay was very good. I was glad to see Arizona win because I like to see Kurt Warner do well. After the game was over, in overtime, I went to San Mateo for the Sunday family dinner. Vanessa had made Shepard's Pie with a honey cake for dessert. It was all very good. In the evening I watched Part 1 of Return to Cranford on PBS.

Message 591

I had a quiet day at home yesterday,and I walked up to Starbucks in the late morning to enjoy a coffee with Vanessa and Annie. I also enjoyed the hot tub at sundown. After the regular Friday PBS shows ended, I watched a DVD of the movie The Bucket List. It barely deserves the three stars I have decided to give it.

Message 592

Yesterday I met Helen and Jim and Joan and Dave at Starbucks to resume our regular Saturday routine. At noon I took Beech with me to Los Gatos where we gave Susan her birthday envelop and flowers (from Vanessa via Beech). Jason and Walt were working on enlarging the bedroom closet. Susan and I brought in burgers and fries for lunch. Beech and the girls played computer games, and Ellie gave me a book about snowmen that she had made at school. I took Beech home about 4 PM, then I picked up Larry and Judi and Ron and Marci for dinner and a movie. We ate at Trader Vic's in Mountain View and saw the movie The Young Victoria at Palo Alto Square. The food was delicious and the movie was sumptuous in its production. It tells about the romance of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. I give it three stars.

Messgae 591

I had a quiet day at home yesterday,and I walked up to Starbucks in the late morning to enjoy a coffee with Vanessa and Annie. I also enjoyed the hot tub at sundown. After the regular Friday PBS shows ended, I watched a DVD of the movie The Bucket List. It barely deserves the three stars I have decided to give it.

Message 590

If any of you did not receive and would like to have a copy of the disk that Chris recently sent out with the pictures of the Basler reunions from Fenwick 2003 through Sandbridge 2009, please let me know and I will get a copy to you.

Yesterday afternoon I picked Beech up at school and took him to Kung Fu and then pizza. This time he pulled three stuffed animals from the crane machine spending only four dollars. He is getting quite skilled at it now. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie The Double Life of Veronique. It is another Kieslowski film, written and directed by the same Polish guy who did The French color trilogy (Blue, White, and Red). He is also the guy who wrote the script for the German movie Heaven, shot in Italy, that I praised a few months ago. It is an extremely ambiguous, enigmatic, and thought provoking film, with a terrific use of music, color, lighting, framing, sex, spirituality, and symbolism to convey its impact. I give it five stars.