Message 731

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist and did some work on my condo. It was a hot day, so I really had to work up a sweat putting up the other two outside blinds on my balcony doors. Fortunately, Jason had helped me with the ten-foot one, which was the hardest, but I still had to struggle to put up the eight-foot and five-foot ones. They are all done now, but they are pretty cheap and a little flimsy, so I wonder if they will last more than a couple of years. As long as China keeps making them and Home Depot keeps selling them though, replacing them should be easier than it was this time.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie An Education. I first saw it in the theater about a year ago, and gave it five stars. The first time I saw it I was surprised a few days later to read in Roger Cohen's column in the NY Times that the villain was Jewish. I had been focusing so much on the young girl that I did not pay attention to the fact that the older man was a Jew. However, when I watched it last night I was struck by how much was made of this fact, and since it is based on a true story, it is not just a device by the filmmakers. It is an very good movie and well worth the five-star rating.

Message 730

I met Helen and Jim at Starbucks yesterday. I read some of The Economist in the afternoon. Warm weather has finally returned, so in the early evening I went in the spa and even in the big pool for the first time in a long while. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Juno for the second time. The first time I saw it, a couple of years ago, I rated it five stars, and I am even more impressed by it the second time. I especially appreciate how well written it is and how good the acting is. Also, the music is by groups that were unknown to me, but is very good. I had never even heard of The Moldy Peaches.

Message 729

Orlindo's cleaning crew came in yesterday noon and I went out to lunch and bought some new outdoor blinds for my balcony windows while they were working. The crew always do a good job cleaning, but I have to put things away before they come and put them back out after they finish. Also, they accidentally disconnected the TV and Internet cable in my bedroom, which was a pain to figure out and fix. Jason actually fixed it for me as well as helped me put up the new 10-foot wide blind for the living-room balcony door. Jason, Susan, and Ellie were buying stuff at IKEA and joined me for dinner at El Cerrito. Jason will be spending his weekend installing IKEA stuff in his new bedroom closet. I started reading The Economist and the went to bed at midnight without watching Charlie Rose. I will watch him at noon Monday.

Message 728

Vanessa, Maureen, and I had breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Reggie and Henry yesterday morning. Afterward I worked some more on my memoirs. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie August Rush. I liked it so much when I saw it before that I bought a copy from Amazon. Previously when I watched it, I gave it only four stars, but after watching it a second time, I am upgrading it to five stars. I love movies that are based on music, and in spite of a preposterous plot and tear jerking romanticism, this one is good enough for multiple viewings.

Message 727

I worked some more on my memoirs yesterday. Vanessa called and told me her usual arrangement for Beech to go home with a classmate on Wednesday had fallen through, so I picked him up at school at noon. It was pajama day at his school, so he did not want to go to McDonalds in his pajamas, so we just went home and he had some snacks there. We then watched TV until Vanessa and Annie came home. In the evening I watched PBS and read some more of Sleeping Where I Fall. Charlie Rose had another episode of his brain series, which as usual was quite good.

Message 726

I picked Beech up at school at noon and went to McDonalds as is our usual Tuesday routine. After lunch he concentrated on doing his homework with me and did some very good work. He is making great progress. He did about four pages and saved the math page because he said his dad wanted to be the one who worked with him on math. I went out to dinner with Larry and Judi, and in the evening I watched PBS, including Nova about a mega-volcano eruption and Frontline about Flying Cheap. I think I will make a point of never again flying on a small regional airline. Charlie Rose was then good as usual.

Message 725

I took Annie to Nealon Park yesterday afternoon while Vanessa had a doctor's appointment. In the evening Joshua came over and watched the 2-hour series finale of 24 with me. I figured Jack would have to die at the end, but he managed to survive and to limp off to go into hiding to escape prosecution for all the bad things he had done. Afterward I read Science and watched Charlie Rose.