Message 594

Last night Joshua brought in meals from Boston Market and watched the hockey game with me. The Sharks beat the LA Kings 2-1. After the game I finished reading the book that Ethan and Julie and Alex gave me titled The Shadow Factory and subtitled The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America by James Bamford. It is a very good and disturbing history of NSA and is a worthy follow-on to his previous book Body of Secrets.

Message 593

Yesterday I watched the two NFL playoff games. The Arizona game against Green Bay was very good. I was glad to see Arizona win because I like to see Kurt Warner do well. After the game was over, in overtime, I went to San Mateo for the Sunday family dinner. Vanessa had made Shepard's Pie with a honey cake for dessert. It was all very good. In the evening I watched Part 1 of Return to Cranford on PBS.

Message 591

I had a quiet day at home yesterday,and I walked up to Starbucks in the late morning to enjoy a coffee with Vanessa and Annie. I also enjoyed the hot tub at sundown. After the regular Friday PBS shows ended, I watched a DVD of the movie The Bucket List. It barely deserves the three stars I have decided to give it.

Message 592

Yesterday I met Helen and Jim and Joan and Dave at Starbucks to resume our regular Saturday routine. At noon I took Beech with me to Los Gatos where we gave Susan her birthday envelop and flowers (from Vanessa via Beech). Jason and Walt were working on enlarging the bedroom closet. Susan and I brought in burgers and fries for lunch. Beech and the girls played computer games, and Ellie gave me a book about snowmen that she had made at school. I took Beech home about 4 PM, then I picked up Larry and Judi and Ron and Marci for dinner and a movie. We ate at Trader Vic's in Mountain View and saw the movie The Young Victoria at Palo Alto Square. The food was delicious and the movie was sumptuous in its production. It tells about the romance of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. I give it three stars.

Messgae 591

I had a quiet day at home yesterday,and I walked up to Starbucks in the late morning to enjoy a coffee with Vanessa and Annie. I also enjoyed the hot tub at sundown. After the regular Friday PBS shows ended, I watched a DVD of the movie The Bucket List. It barely deserves the three stars I have decided to give it.

Message 590

If any of you did not receive and would like to have a copy of the disk that Chris recently sent out with the pictures of the Basler reunions from Fenwick 2003 through Sandbridge 2009, please let me know and I will get a copy to you.

Yesterday afternoon I picked Beech up at school and took him to Kung Fu and then pizza. This time he pulled three stuffed animals from the crane machine spending only four dollars. He is getting quite skilled at it now. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie The Double Life of Veronique. It is another Kieslowski film, written and directed by the same Polish guy who did The French color trilogy (Blue, White, and Red). He is also the guy who wrote the script for the German movie Heaven, shot in Italy, that I praised a few months ago. It is an extremely ambiguous, enigmatic, and thought provoking film, with a terrific use of music, color, lighting, framing, sex, spirituality, and symbolism to convey its impact. I give it five stars.

Message 589

I just got back from Heidi's Pies. Vanessa and I had a good breakfast and had a chance to reconnect with a lot of the people that we see there regularly. We may start taking Annie with us again if we can get her to agree to stay ay the table. Last night Josh brought in pizza and watched the Sharks game with me. They beat St. Louis 2-1 in overtime, but because the Blues were missing two of their best players it was not a very good showing by the Sharks. After the game, I watched a DVD of the movie The Mysteries of Pittsburgh. It was based on a book by a good writer, but it was not a very appealing story, so I give it only 2.8 stars.