Message 819

I feel a whole lot better today. Mimi and I just got back from having coffee at Starbucks with Helen and Jim and Joan and Dave. Last night we watched a DVD of the German movie Vitus. It is about a child prodigy struggling to make a life for himself in spite of his handicap of being smarter than all of the adults as well as the children in his world. Among other things he is musically talented, and I especially like movies based on music. It reminds me somewhat of the movie August Rush. I give it four stars.

Message 818

I spent most of the day in bed yesterday, some napping and a lot of TV-watching. I had a can of clam chowder for lunch, but I was not hungry for dinner. In the evening I watched the San Francisco Opera production of Mozart's Don Giovanni. It was a whole new cast from the copy I have, but I thought it was well done. I had a good breakfast of oatmeal this morning. We are having our third hot day in a row, but I think it may cool down by tomorrow. I hope maybe to be able to take a shower this afternoon.

Message 817

I had a fever last night, but I feel a lot better this morning. However, I decided I was a little too shaky to go to Heidi's Pies, so I called Vanessa and asked her to convey to Reggie and Henry that I would see them next week. Yesterday was Beech's first day back at school. He is starting first grade now. I picked him up at 12:45 PM and took him to lunch. There were no spaces in the McDonald's parking lot, so I took him to Taco Bell. We each got a soft beef taco, nachos, and a mango smoothie.

Message 816

I just got back from refilling my prescription for inject able antibiotics from PAMF. When I got home, I realized they had neglected to give me the two syringes. I will just estimate half of the ampoule to mix with the saline solution. Last night Mimi and I watched a DVD of the movie Greenburg. This movie has gotten so much publicity, like an hour on Charlie Rose, that I was disappointed that it was so bad. I was very impressed with the performance of Greta Gerwig, but the plot was too unappealing. I give it 2.5 stars.

Message 815

Julian is in New York this week so Vanessa is having to manage on her own. Yesterday I took Beech and Annie to the Redwood City McDonalds with a play area from about 12:45 PM to 2:45 PM. I had the one-third-lb Angus bacon-cheese burger and the kids had Happy Meals. I ate all of mine, but they barely touched theirs. Last night Mimi and I watched the French movie Home. It was a very strange movie about a family that has lived for ten years next to a freeway that is under construction but has not been finished. Suddenly, construction crews show up and finish the work. The freeway becomes heavily travelled and noisy and dangerous to live by. The family tries to stick it out, but become progressively more dysfunctional, and ultimately insane. It is something of an allegory about how people, and animals too, have to adjust to a loss of habitat brought on by change and technology. It is interesting, but I give it only three stars.

Message 814

Yesterday I read a good bit of The Economist. In the evening Mimi and I went to a dinner party at Mary and Eddie Solomon's house. There were ten people in all, including their daughter Justine (who is pregnant) and her husband. Also Dennis and Therese Rohan were there. Mary had cooked lamb, which was very good. Eddie seemed to be doing better with his Parkinson's than the last time I saw him.

Message 813

Yesterday we had breakfast at El Cerrito. Helen and Jim had to take friends to the airport. During the day I worked on getting my computer home-network working the way I want. Eventually Jason guided me by telephone and I managed to get it done. Now my old computer in the guest room is running the SETI program again.

The weather was so cool yesterday that Mimi and I went in the hot tub before dinner. In the evening I watched the pre-season game between the 49ers and Raiders. Both teams look like they should have better records this year. Mimi was not feeling well so she turned in early.