Message 315

Yesterday I finished The Economist and Science. In the evening I watched the Nature show on Kilauea and the first episode of Little Dorrit on PBS. After the news I turned in early.

I am feeling much better now. Yesterday I did not have to take and of the 4-hour Mucinex, so the previous night's 12-hour pill carried me through until I took another one about 9 PM last night. Today maybe I will not need even the 12-hour pill.

Julian is in London this week, so Vanessa and I and the kids are going to the park this morning.

Message 314

Yesterday I read about half of The Economist and in the evening I went to the couples club dinner. (Sally and I used to call it couples club to distinguish it from the dinner group we had with Arriagnos, Morrills, and Willetts, so I still use that term. So many of the people in it have died now that the term is no longer strictly accurate. After a spouse dies, most members come to a few dinners and then drop out. There are two of us now who still come as singles at least occasionally. Sally and I were among the founding members, and there are only four other couples left from the original group, and one of them only come about three or four times a year.)

Anyway, after that long digression, there were only eight of us there last night, and after we finished eating about 9:30 PM, people started leaving. Helen and Jim were the hosts, and they have recently remodeled their living room and added a new 52 inch HDTV, so Dave Roland and I, who are Sharks fans got Jim to tune in the game with Phoenix, which was in the early part of the third period. The Sharks were ahead 3-2, and they held on and won by that score, but it was really impressive to see the game on a big screen in high definition.

I bought some 12-hour Mucinex pills yesterday to help me keep breathing through the night, so I took one when I got home about 10:30 PM, and it is still working about 12 hours later. Now I plan to use the 4-hour pills as needed through the day. I hope I will not need them as frequently as every 4 hours, since I am feeling so much better, but I will see how it goes. Today is the fifth day since it started (while I was out with Josh buying his car), so I hope that within another few days I will be over the cold and not need the Mucinex any more (until the next one gets me).

Message 313

I had coffee with Helen and Jim and Joan and Dave today at Starbucks as usual on Saturdays. I then did my weekly shopping at Safeway, and picked up a couple of prescription refills at Longs Drugs, where I also bought a pack of 12-hour Mucinex over the counter. It is a nuisance to have to take the other Mucinex every 4 house.

Last night after watching the usual Friday night shows on PBS, I watched a DVD of the movie The Machinist. I give it three 2.5 stars because it had Jennifer Jason Lee in it, and the rest of the people involved did a good job, but it was too Kafkaesque and strange to make it worth watching.

Message 312

Today is Melanie and Amelia's birthday! They are now 14 years old. I was in Australia when they were born. I remember it like yesterday.

I am feeling much better today. I started taking a mucus relief, over-the-counter medicine (400 mg Guaifenesin) that my doctor recommended, and it works great. It allows me to breathe through my nose, and so far as I can tell, it has no side effects. What a relief! I do not think I will need any Zithromax.

Last night after watching the Sharks blow a 2-0 lead and losing to Nashville 2-3 (because Nashville scored three goals in 2.5 minutes in the second period, I watched a DVD of the movie Hard Candy. It is a disturbing movie, but I give it three stars. I especially liked seeing Ellen Page again (after Juno). She is great. The plot is in the vein of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but more grim.

Message 311

Yesterday evening I drove Joshua to Stevens Creek Subaru, where he bought an Outback. It seems kike a very nice mini-SUV with all wheel drive, so it will be perfect for him. I even persuaded him to buy the prepaid maintenance package, so he will be sure to have it serviced properly.

On the way to buy his car, we listened to the first period of the Sharks game. They were behind 1-3 at the end of the period. By the time I got home, it was nearly 11 PM, and I heard on the news that the Sharks ended up losing to Chicago 5-6 in an overtime shootout.

I had to cancel my regular Thursday schedule at Heidi's Pies and the library this morning because My cold has come back, or I have caught a new one. I wonder if I should refill my Zithromax prescription, or wait and see how this develops. I started coughing yesterday afternoon, and last night I had to breathe through my mouth all night, so I feel lousy.

Message 310

This morning I have done my exercises and walked around the condo loop. I have a load of laundry in the machine, and I am enjoying the nice day with sunshine. Last night I watched a Nova program on PBS called Extreme Ice. I was tried and did not feel like taking on anything as big as a movie, so I read The Economist. I am almost finished, so by tomorrow I will be able to move on to Science.

Charlie Rose had a good discussion of Obama's press conference last night.

Message 309

I am really late getting this message off today. I went to San Mateo early to help Vanessa with Annie at her babysitting co-op. After that I picked up Beech for McDonalds and gymnastics. He has switched away from Burger King because he wants the Spiderman toys at McDonalds.

Last night Josh came over to watch 24 with me.