Mesage 752

I hosted a fathers' day lunch yesterday at the Mexican restaurant Celia's, where Fontana's used to be, for the three Js plus Vanessa and the kids, and Amelia and Evelyn. It was going to be at Ten Fu, but when I got there it was not open for lunch, so we had to switch to Celia's. Jamie was planning to join us, but the kids were fussy and he had to put them down for a nap. After lunch Jason, Amelia and I took Evelyn to Stanford to start her summer program. She is going to study Philosophy.

In the afternoon I finished reading The Economist and also Science. In the evening I watched Miss Marple on PBS.

Message 751

I had a quiet day at home yesterday. I read some more of The Economist, and went in the hot tub. I was unusually cool yesterday, so it felt good to warm up. In the evening I watched a DVD of the Japanese movie When a Woman Ascends the Stairs. It was made in 1960 and is considered a classic, although I had never heard of it. I was impressed by how good it was. It was made in black and white and it was a philosophical statement by the director of how mostly bad things happen to people in life and there is nothing to do but accept what comes and go on living. It was beautifully acted and the subtitles were not distracting. I give it four stars.

Message 750

Yesterday I picked Evelyn up at SFO and drove her to Los Gatos where we had lunch with Jason and Amelia. Susan and the other girls had gone to Northstar to check out the reunion houses. The report I got from Jason is that all three houses are suitable for the big dinners, so we can just rotate between the three. In the evening after the Friday PBS shows were over I read about half of The Economist. I did not watch a DVD.

Message 748

I had a lunch date with another POF woman who drove to Menlo Park to meet me. She was very nice and we had a lot in common, but I am not sure that she is interested considering my not wanting to travel. In the evening I watched a DVD of the new Clint Eastwood movie Invictus. It starred Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon who are both always good. It was a very feel-good movie that was even better because it was based on a true story. I give it four stars.

Message 747

Yesterday I took Beech and Annie to the redwood City McDonalds with a playground at noon while Vanessa had a doctor's appointment. Both kids had a ball playing with the other kids, but neither of them ate very much. I ate the one-third pound Angus cheese burger. I watched Obama's speech at 5 PM and thought it was good. In the evening I watched a DVD of the old (1952) French movie Casque d'Or. It is a classic that I first saw in when I was at Hamilton, but I had forgotten all of it. It was stylistically and historically interesting, but I give it 3.6 stars.

Message 746

Yesterday I drove to Livermore to meet a woman who contacted me on plentyoffish.com (POF) at a winery for lunch. She was nice, but I told her what I have told others that traveling is too hard for me and that if they want to meet again they will have to come to Menlo Park. Now I don't even accept invitations from women who live more than ten miles away. I took a nap after I got home and felt refreshed in the evening to watch an old (1994) Ang Lee movie called Eat Drink Man Woman. It was mostly about the elaborate rituals of Chinese cooking, so those of you who like cooking might enjoy it. It also has a lot to do with the love lives of a widowed father and his three daughters. I was surprised at how much I liked it. I give it four stars.

Message 745

Yesterday I read Science and in the late afternoon I went to San Mateo for dinner with Julian, Vanessa, and the kids. In the evening I watched a DVD of the Israeli movie The Band's Visit. It was a very slow paced movie about an Egyptian Band's visit to play a concert in Israel. I give it 2.5 stars. It was not bad, it was just too simple to be interesting.