Message 699

I am just leaving to meet Reggie at Heidi's Pies for our usual Thursday breakfast, but I thought I would get this message off before I go. Vanessa called a little while ago to say she can't make it this morning because she has some urgent sewing she needs to get done for her business. Yesterday I started reading a book Susan gave me, a sort of autobiography by Stewart Copeland of The Police. It is very interesting. She knows how to pick them. In the afternoon I refilled the prescription for my antibiotic saline solution and had my six-month check-up by my dermatologist at PAMF. She froze a few spots and took a scraping from my neck for a biopsy. On the whole my skin is better lately, probably because of the soap substitute and body lotion Liz suggested for me when we were in Arizona recently.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Holy Smoke. It is another movie by Jane Campion, who did The Piano, but this time Harvey Keitel plays opposite Kate Winslet, who does her usual wonderful job. It is intense, but funny, and is filmed in Australia and India. I give it four stars.

Message 698

Yesterday I babysat Annie in the morning and again in the afternoon while she napped. I also picked Beech up at school and took him to lunch for our usual Tuesday routine. He chose McDonalds again, and I helped him with three pages of his homework. In the evening I went out to dinner with Larry at Gombei. Judi is still out of town. In the evening I watched Nova, about psychology and money. I also watched a DVD of the movie The Blind Side. Because I had just read the book and felt so highly about it, I could not help being disappointed in the movie. It is almost always the case that movies do not measure up to the books for me. If I see the movie first, I can like it and then like the book even more if I read it later, but if I read the book first I am critical of the shortcomings of the film. I realize that this is not fair, because film and book are completely different art forms. Anyway I give The Blind Side film 3 stars.

Message 697

I just received an email from Netflix asking me to review the movie Taking Chance, and I realize I forgot to mention in Sunday's message that I had watched the DVD. It is a very well done film based on a true story about a Marine Colonel, played by Kevin Bacon, who volunteers to escort the body of a 21-year old who was killed in Iraq and whose name was Chance Phillips, home to his family in a small town in Wyoming. I did not expect much from the movie, so I was surprised by how good it was. It reminded me some of the Japanese movie Departures because it dealt with the ritual and respect with which the military carries out the duty of returning the dead to their family for burial. I give it four stars.

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist and in the evening Joshua came over and watched 24 with me. I was amazed to learn that there are still five more episodes left in this season. It seems like it is longer than usual, but I must confess that I have forgotten what time it was when it started.

Message 696

Yesterday I inadvertently sent this out before it was finished, so I am adding to it now.

Yesterday I finished reading The Blind Side, Evolution of a Game, by Michael Lewis. It is a wonderful book, and written by the best non-fiction writer of our time. It was compelling reading and full of brilliantly interesting and inspiring characters. It is as much about the game of football as it is about the people in the story. It has a lot of stuff about Bill Walsh that I did not know in spite of my following him closely when he took the 49ers through their glory years. The author had many hours of interviews with all the people in the book, including Bill Walsh, and many other coaches, players, scouts, and agents, both for the college and professional game.

In the late afternoon I went to San Mateo for the usual family dinner. This time we went to a Mexican restaurant and I had fish tacos for the first time. They were quite good. Afterward we had ice-cream at McDonalds. In the evening I read some more of The Economist and watched the second part of Small Island on Masterpiece Theater on PBS.

Message 695

Yesterday I did my grocery shopping and started reading The Economist. In the evening Joshua brought in Mexican food and watched the Sharks game with me. They beat Colorado 5-2 to win the series 4-2. The last two goals were empty netters, so the game was closer than the score indicates. Their next opponent in the Stanly Cup series is not yet determined, so they will have a few days off to rest up. I hope they can sustain their level of play for the rest of the series. I then turned in early (before midnight) for a change.

Message 694

Last night I went to see the movie La Mission with Larry. Judi is out of town at a meeting. I did not care much for the movie, although it was well made. It dealt with Latino culture and especially their intolerance of gays, but it was too strange and heavy for my taste, so I give it only 2.7 stars. After the movie I read some more of The Blind Side and watched Charlie Rose.

Message 693

Yesterday I had breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Vanessa and Reggie. I worked some more on my memoirs and in the evening I watched the Sharks win their game against Colorado 5-0. Three of their goals were scored by rookies that were brought up from the farm team for the last few weeks of the season. Another goal was scored by Joe Pavelski, and the last one was scored by Patrick Marleau, their regular season leading scorer. Joshua joined me at the start of the second period when the score was still 0-0. He had been skiing all day, so we were both thrilled with the outcome. The Sharks finally came alive, or rather Colorado's team was not able to continue playing above their heads, and the Sharks emerged as the champions they really are. Anyway, it was great to see them return to form.

Yesterday I also read some more of The Blind Side. It is so good that I stayed up reading until 3:30 AM, and I am now about half way through it. When I finish it I will watch the movie too.