Message 340

Yesterday I went to help Vanessa and Beech with Beech's oral surgery, for which he had to be totally sedated. This was a rough experience for him, but he got through it. I assume he is fully recovered today and is back in school as usual.

When Vanessa dropped me off at home on her way home with Beech, I watched a DVD of the movie Out of the Past, which is a film noir classic made in the late 1940s staring Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas very early in their careers. I give it four stars. Even though it is limited by the Hollywood code of those years, it is quite well done.

In the evening, Joshua brought in fish and chips and watched the hockey game with me. The Sharks disgraced themselves losing to the Ducks 0-4. They are now behind in the series 1-3. Jason and Joshua have tickets for the game here Saturday night. If they lose again

Message 339

Yesterday I had breakfast at Heidi's Pies with just Vanessa. Beech was at school and Annie was at a neighbor's house. We changed our Thursday routine to Wednesday because this morning Beech has to have the extra teeth removed from his palette so it will develop properly. I am going with him and Vanessa to the hospital to help reassure him. Presumably everything will go well and he can come home later today.

Last night I watched an old movie made in 1945 with Edward G. Robinson as a sucker who kills a girl who is exploiting him. It is named Scarlet Street and is supposed to be a classic, but I only give it three stars. It is amazing how corny and naive movies were in those days.

Message 338

Yesterday I picked Beech up at school and took him to Burger King for lunch. He said he was too tired for gymnastics, so I took him home and played with him and his toys.

Last night Joshua brought in pizzas and watched the Sharks game with me. This time they beat the Ducks 4-3, so they now trail 1-2 in the playoff series. It was a very tense game, but it was more like the Sharks we know and love.

Message 337

Yesterday I had lunch in Nealon Park with Vanessa and the kids. It was so hot I had to find a place in the shade. The heat wave set records yesterday, and is supposed to continue today, but then move away and let us return to normal. In the afternoon I finished reading The Economist. Larry Morrill picked me up at 6 PM and drove to Gombei for dinner. Judi is still in New Orleans at a meeting.

Last night Joshua, Pat, and Natalie came over and watched 24 with me. We must be getting near the end of this season, but I can't remember what time it started, so I do not know when it will end.

Message 336

Yesterday I started reading The Economist. In the late afternoon I went to San Mateo and ate a BBQ pork dinner that Vanessa cooked in the crock-pot. I got home by 7 PM so I could watch the Sharks game. Unfortunately, the lost again to the Ducks 2-3. It was a very close game, and the Sharks played well, but the Ducks had that little bit extra. Jason and Joshua were at the game. Clowe and Cheechoo scored for the Sharks, but it was not enough. If the Ducks continue to play at this level, they may win the Stanley Cup again like they did a couple of years. It is too bad the Sharks did not get to play St. Louis in the first round. However, it is not over yet. All the Sharks have to do is win four out of the next five games, something they did easily many times in the regular season.

After the hockey game, I watched Part 4 of Little Dorrit on PBS.

Message 335

Yesterday I got a haircut and started reading The Economist. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Kagemusha, which is a three hour epic Japanese film directed by Kurosawa. It was beautifully staged and filmed with incredible colors and scenery, but the subtitles are distracting, and the motivations of the characters are hard to comprehend, because of my lack of understanding of Japanese culture and history no doubt, so I give it only three stars.

Message 334

Yesterday Beech, Vanessa, and I had lunch again at Una Mas. Afterward I had Beech stay at my place for a while so Vanessa could run some errands. He was real good at my place. He watched a monster DVD that he had brought with him while I watched BBC World news and The News Hour on PBS.

Last night I had dinner with Ron and Marci and Larry at Sundance Mining Company. Judi is in New Orleans at a meeting. Afterward we went to the movie State of Play with Russell Crowe. It was very good. I give it four stars.