Message 667

Yesterday I discovered that my new TV was defective, so I had to take it back and exchange it for a new one. I took Beech with me for the exchange after his Kung Fu class. After we got the new TV, we went back to the pizza place so he could play his game and eat pizza. He won a new stuffed rabbit to give to Annie.

Last night I watched the Sharks shut out Dallas 3-0. It is nice to have the Sharks back playing like they should. Joshua had something else on his schedule, so he did not watch the game with me. The picture on my new TV looks great. After the game I checked to see how it works with my DVD player, but I am not getting a good picture. I am concerned that the TV only works with a Blue-ray player, but more likely I do not have the cables plugged in to the right places. I will work more on it today.

Message 666

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies. I had a cleaning crew in yesterday at noon, and when I got back from having lunch at El Cerrito my living room TV would not work. At first I thought the cleaning crew had messed with it, but after a lot of fiddling I realized that it had gone bad the same way my computer monitor went bad a few months ago. In other, the LCD display would work fine for about a second and then it would turn itself off. After leaving Heidi's Pies, I took my TV to the recycling center and went to Best Buy to get a new one. I had intended to buy a CRT-TV, but I discovered they are not made anymore. I decided up having to buy a 26-inch LCD-TV because that was the biggest that would fit into my cabinet. I bought the 4-year service plan this time too, although the old TV lasted for six years before it quit.

Last night I drove Larry and Judi to SFO where they are going for a week-long vacation in New York where they are meeting Larry's sister. It was raining hard on my way to the airport, but the sun is shining now.

Message 665

Yesterday I picked Beech up at his school at noon and took him to McDonalds for lunch and then home to do two pages of homework followed by video games until Vanessa and Annie came home. In the late afternoon Joshua brought in fish and chips and watched the Sharks game with me. They finally broke their losing streak by beating Minnesota 4-1. After the game I finished reading The Economist and the new issue of Science.

Message 664

Henry brought his daughter Anique over yesterday afternoon for help with her calculus homework. I was pretty rusty, so I did not manage to help her very much, but she is a bright girl, so I think she may have benefitted a little bit. In the evening Joshua was supposed to come over to watch 24 with me, but he called and said he was too late to make it in time, so I watched it by myself. I also read some more of The Economist.

Message 663

Yesterday I did three loads of wash and got most of the stuff put away from the visit of Liz and her family. Henry and his daughter never came over for calculus tutoring, so I started reading The Economist. In the evening Joshua brought in pizza and watched the Sharks game with me. They lost a disgusting sixth game in a row. They were behind 0-5 until near the end of the third period when Ryane Clow scored to spare them the further disgrace of being shut out, so they lost 1-5 to the Edmonton Oilers.

Message 662

Liz and her family just left on their return trip to Houston. It was wonderful to have them here for five days. This morning we had breakfast at El Cerrito, as we did on their first morning. I have a load of towels in the wash as I write this message.

Yesterday the whole family, including Jamie and Chelsea and the kids; Julian and Vanessa and the kids; Liz and Bill and the kids; Linda and Walt; Jason and Susan and the kids; and me spent the afternoon and evening in Los Gatos. Susan fixed a wonderful corned beef and cabbage dinner, Linda brought three pies, Most people and kids went in the spa. After dinner Susan and I and Caroline, Melanie, Amelia, and Ellie, and Sean watched The Superhero Movie. It was a very funny spoof on Spiderman and other such films, and it was very funny and made us all laugh uproariously. I give it four stars because it was so silly and light-hearted and fun to watch with kids.

Message 661

I just got back from having breakfast at the Stanford golf course with Helen and Jim, Julian and Vanessa and the kids, and Liz and her family except for Sean who spent the night at Jason's house in Los Gatos. I did not go to the Gomez concert last night, so I went to dinner and a movie with the Morrills and the Ariagnos. We saw the Swedish film called the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I had never heard of it, but apparently it won the Academy Award for best foreign film this year. It was very well done, but I give it only 3.5 stars because it was a thriller/mystery with a lot of unpleasant scenes and not much in the way of redeeming qualities.