Day - 1823

Saturday, December 29, 2018

The car started with a jump and I drove to Salvation Army to drop off four bags of used clothes and items I no longer need.  The engine fan kept going for hours, which explained why the battery was dead Friday morning.  I'll call the MINI specialists at Bay Bridge Bimmers Monday morning.  What a pain.

I did clean up my place a bit afterward in preparation for Seth Donnelly's arrival.  We hadn't seen each other in two years, so it was wonderful visiting and catching up.  We went to Lynn & Lou's for a late brunch.  I hadn't been there in many years, but the food is still as fine as ever.  We talked about our lives, politics of course, the impending Trump downfall, teaching, kids today versus us in the 80s, Seth's parents (triple star humans), music, and before we knew it Seth had to leave for his next adventure.  It was great seeing him.

In the evening, I settled into a documentary Howard saw last night and wanted me to see:

It's a compelling film about Trump ties to Russia and Putin's mission to undermine the American election system and bring a degree of chaos and dissonance, not only to the entire electoral process, but to the population at large in exploiting wedge issues that creates continued division.  Very good and in a while a precursor to the Mueller report, which will have plenty of this with more details.  2019 will be a watershed moment in American politics.  2018 will feel tepid in comparison.

Day - 1824

Friday, December 28, 2018

After a great night sleep, I was all set for racquetball, but when I opened the garage my car trunk wouldn't open, nor would my door.  I used the key to unlock, then tried to start.  No go.  The battery was completely dead.  I took a Lyft to the gym and a Lyft back.  It was just Tiger and Kirk this morning (no Ari), so we played singles and cut-throat.  Work today was quiet.  I didn't have a single job to take care of.  It should be quiet Monday as well.

With my car out of commission, I stayed in Oakland tonight.  Tomorrow, Seth Donnelly visits me, but in the morning I'll need a jump and see if there's anything wrong with the MINI.

Day - 1825

Thursday, December 27, 2018

What a brutal day.  With our flight from Seattle at 5, we left Nicole's at 2:15 a.m.  That meant no sleep at all.  We were still playing games at 1:45. 

It rained fairly hard along I-5.  We stopped for gas, dropped off the rental car, checked my bag, and got through security with about 20 minutes to spare before boarding our flight.  I actually slept most of the way to Oakland.  It felt like the shortest flight I've been on, but waiting for my bag at the carousel, I did not feel well at all.  We took a Lyft back to the city, which dropped me off and took Alice home.  Work was busy in the morning but dead in the afternoon.  I came home, had a quick bite, and went right to bed, sleeping through the night.

Day - 1826

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

We headed to Kathryn and Tom's for breakfast in the morning.  Jeff was there, which was a very nice surprise.  Neal, Karin and Kara came over a little later, then Kevin and Mike, then Susan, Jay and Maddie, then finally Ron & Jeni. 

I wish we had more time with everyone.  We needed to leave at 2:30 in order to meet Tristan, Mathew, Rathna, Greg, Debbie, and mom for a surprise dinner for Nicole and Mike in celebration of their 10th Wedding Anniversary. 

Very nice dinner and wonderful celebration!  After dinner, we headed back to Nicole & Mike's.  I packed and then played a few more rounds of Werewolf.  Because our flight was so early, we actually stayed up all night playing games (until 1:45 a.m.).

Day - 1827

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Alice and I woke up around 6 and went downstairs for coffee and tea.  I took a few pics of the living room, which was all set up for the kiddies (and adults!).  This is such an iconic family tradition, each person in the house with a stocking stuffed full of wrapped gifts from everyone.

People began to appear around 7.

By 8, we were well into opening presents under the tree.

Slipper time!

The Houghs in PJ mode!

The Hannis wore their matching shirts.

Uncle Mathew owned it with nephew Hank.

Dinner was scrumptious.

Dessert rocked, too!

One Night Ultimate Werewolf was a big hit.  We played for hours in the evening.

Alice watched Home Alone 2 with the her new friend.

Such a sweet pic!

Day - 1828

Monday, December 24, 2018

We began our morning with a nice big breakfast, followed by a trip to Everett for jars of the barbecue sauce that Alice uses on her spare ribs.  We had Thai for lunch before heading home.

It was fun hanging out at Nicole's, playing with the kids, and enjoying our time in the Pacific Northwest.

Alice was in good spirits all weekend, and why not...there was lots of food and so good!

Mathew and Rathna arrived in the afternoon.  They had a boatload of gifts to wrap, so they really weren't part of the action until after dinner. 

We had chili for dinner and it was delish!  No games tonight, but instead lots of assembling (of toys), organizing, last minute wrapping, then bed!

Day - 1829

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Alice and I drove to Sea-Tac to pick up mom, who stayed the night at a nearby hotel.  More rain on the road, but the traffic was moderate.  We stopped at an Asian market store to pick up barbecue sauce for the ribs Alice was making tonight, and the Shoreline Costco, which is a massive store.  Back on the road, we arrived at Nicole's around 1.  Mom spent the afternoon wrapping presents while Alice and I watched the Seahawks game.  Oh and what a game, maybe one of the best Hawk games I've seen in the Pacific Northwest against one of the best teams in the league, the KC Chiefs.  Doug Baldwin caught two amazing catches.

The Hawks held on to win it and secure a playoff spot.  So satisfying!

Alice's ribs were a hit tonight.  I had four.  With presents wrapped and ready to go, we spent the rest of the night watching TV, talking, and playing with the kiddies.

Day - 1830

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Up early to finish packing and pick up Alice from SF.  I arrived at the house at 7:10 a.m., then headed back to my place.  We took Lyft to the airport.  It was a good thing we arrived early because the airport was packed.  I checked one bag at Southwest, which took about 30 minutes.  Once we went through TSA, we could relax.  Our flight left at 11, arriving a little before 1.  It took another 40 minutes to wait for our checked bag, then it was a breeze to the rental car counter.  I rented through Avis, which had the best price for Seattle for the week.  I didn't realize I was a preferred member, so I didn't have to wait in the check-in line.  I could go straight to the car counter.  We got a pretty big Ford Taurus, which felt like a small tank.  There was no owner's manual in the glove compartment, so knowing where all the switches and knobs were took a few minutes. 

We were on the road to Nicole and Mike's by 2 and arrived at 3:20.  A light rain accompanied us most of the way there.  Nicole's house looked so much like mom's house at Nicole's age and Gwen's house at Nicole's age, full of Christmas touches, stuffed Santas in every corner, a beautiful tree, and lots of presents underneath.  Alice and I took Hailey's room upstairs.  We unpacked, then hung out with Nicole, Mike and Tristan the rest of the day.  We had salmon and steak for dinner and it was delicious.  We watched Elf (a Christmas family favorite) and called it a night around 10:30-11.  Tomorrow, mom arrived, then Mathew and Rathna on Christmas Eve.

Day - 1831

Friday, December 21, 2018

Work was very quiet today, nice!  After work, I popped into Urban Indigo and found a couple of nice gifts for mom.  That finished up my Christmas shopping for the year!  I came home, had a little dinner, then packed up for Seattle.

Day - 1832

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Quiet at work, so I spent a little time going over retirement planning paper work for my Fidelity accounts.  Boring stuff, but I need to look it over at some point.  

Day - 1833

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Made a quick stop at Barnes & Noble to pick up Miles's gift.  Looked for other ideas for mom but nothing came to me.  Went home, relaxed the rest of the evening.

Day - 1834

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Another bad day for one of Trump's idiot minions.  Gen. Mike Flynn was supposed to be sentenced today.  Instead, Fed. Judge Sullivan read him the riot act and delayed sentencing so that Flynn could help the prosecutors a little more.  It was a good day for patriotism and dignity.  The deplorables are becoming so unhinged and unbearable these days.  They're all-in on the con in chief, which is amazing to me, seeing as it's such a losing hand in the end.  We've had to wait so long for the house of cards to fall, but eventually all the swamp creatures will get what's coming to them....eventually.

Day - 1835

Monday, December 17, 2018

The start of a busy week in preparation for Nicole and Mike’s on Saturday.  I still have many gifts to get. Went to Barnes and Noble after work to pick up a gift for Miles. 

Day - 1836

Sunday, December 16, 2018

A full day of racquetball in Stockton today.  I left SF at 4:30, stopped at Oakland to pick up my gear, and drove to Stockton, arriving at 8:15.  From 8:30 until 2:15 p.m. it was non-stop racquetball with seven other players in the A division.  I won 7 matches and lost 2.  Julius, John's son won the tournament with great plays and endless youthful energy.  I couldn't keep up with him after five hours.  I was spent and he beat me in 3 in the semi's.  It sure was a lot of fun hanging out in Stockton for the day.

The drive home was not so enjoyable.  It rained hard and traffic was impossible.  I headed straight to Glenn and Amy's for our racquetball holiday party, which was very well attended and full of delicious food.  It was great seeing everyone.

I came home at 8, did a quick load of laundry to take care of all my wet racquetball gear, talked to Alice for 20 minutes, then fell asleep on the couch.  I didn't wake up until 6:15 the next morning.

Day - 1837

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Alice and I rode bicycles inside Golden Gate park for an hour.  She has a new e-bike that she loves.  It works so well!  I used her old folding bike that we fixed up.  We'll do this more often for sure!

In the afternoon we saw The Favourite.  Of course, this is my kind of film.  I loved it and thought the cast was terrific (as well as the exceptional details and cinematography).  Human beings with endless power are crazy.  Queen Anne...don't know much about her.

The ending will not be satisfying for some, but really, there was nothing more to say.  Outstanding!  An 18th Century All About Eve tale.

Afterwards, we ate dinner at a Japanese restaurant that was packed.  We found two spots at the counter and were in and out in 30 minutes.  Good food.  

Day - 1838

Friday, December 14, 2018

Dental appointment today.  Came home and wrapped packages, cleaned up, etc.  Another busy weekend.

Day - 1839

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Going through old pictures using a very cool app called Photomyne.  It does a pretty terrific job of scanning physical photos into a digital copy. 

These pics of the past are so precious!  It's hard to believe they were take so many years ago.  I'm really looking forward to this Christmas at Nicole's.  I'm guessing it will be one of the more memorable Christmases we've had.

Day - 1840

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Cohen sentenced to three years in jail, and so the downfall begins for the Trump Organization.  We all know where this is going.  The family is corrupt and completely untethered to rules and laws.  Winning the presidency was the worst thing to happen to con in chief.  It will be drawn and out like a dripping faucet and all the pundits will milk every last detail until we're beyond caring anymore.  Best to shift focus now that the momentum of the justice system is directing the fate of this unfortunate two years of wasted political space.  There's so much to turn one's attention to. 

Like music:

We ran through Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Ballade for Orchestra (op. 33) tonight.  What a lively, beautiful piece that's fun to play.  I hear Dvorak influences running throughout.  I'm glad we played this first because after an hour or so of rehearsal I was done for the day.  The last hour of rehearsal dragged and I couldn't wait to go home and fall asleep.

Day - 1841

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Practiced for two hours after work.  Our last rehearsal of the year is tomorrow.  

Day - 1842

Monday, December 10, 2018

Time to get presents wrapped and put a list of things together.  December always accelerates to the end of the year.  We'll be at Nicole and Mike's before I know it.  

Day - 1843

Sunday, December 9, 2018

In SF early and worked on Alice's folding bike.  The rear tire is creating holes for some reason, so I 'll have to fix the tubes next week.  Alice went walking with her friends from Sunset, riding her new e-bike while her gang walked.  I practiced a little, then worked on the remaining gift list for Nicole et al. 

Day - 1844

Saturday, December 8, 2018

I was supposed to spend the day with Seth, but he canceled because he's so busy wrapping up the semester.  So we're rescheduling for December 29.  Alice had an event schedule in Napa with her former neighbor, so I went to Oakland and took care of a few things.  It was nice having the entire day to catch up.  

Day - 1845

Friday, December 7, 2018

No racquetball today, but instead drove over to SF early in the a.m. so I'd have my car to drive home tomorrow when I meet with Seth. 

We had our company Christmas party this afternoon, which was fun.  Alice met me downtown and we had dinner at a Japanese restaurant on O'Farrell.  Came home around 8 and had a quiet evening until bed. 

Day - 1846

Thursday, December 6, 2016

Making adjustments to my various retirement accounts today...too heavy in stocks at the moment and need to shift assets to bonds, foreign assets, etc.  I'm meeting with a Fidelity manager in a couple weeks to go over all the choices I need to make.  

Day - 1847

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Racquetball this morning, rehearsal tonight, and work in between.  Another long, tiring day.

Day - 1848

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Had lunch today with the Golden Princess's very talented video editor Erick (aka Giancarlo R. Guerrero), who created our lovely wedding video.  He's on holiday for two weeks before heading back to Peru to spend Christmas with his mom. 

with Erick in front of 425 Market St.

We had a delicious lunch at La Mar, a wonderful Peruvian restaurant.  Erick did the ordering and we both did the eating.  Very good!

Day - 1849

Monday, December 3, 2018

Spent most of my time after work practicing for Wednesday's rehearsal.  I had a lot of energy at racquetball this morning, but by 8:30 I was done for the day.

Day - 1850

Sunday, December 2, 2018

We drove up to Los Altos to have an amazing lunch at Elaine and Wayman's house.  We brought Alice's new bike so she could try it.  The Swagbike is really great!  It has plenty of pep and is quite comfortable.  I'm fixing up Alice's other folding bike so we can ride together in the area. 

We played King of Tokyo after most of the guests left.  It's always so much fun hanging out in Los Altos!

Day - 1851

Saturday, December 1, 2018

What a nasty day to drive to San Jose to pick up Austin's grandmother for her flight to China.  The rain came down so hard for about five miles along 280.  It was a bit treacherous.  But we made it, and when we got her settled at SFO and headed back home, the skies were clear and blue. 

Spent the rest of the day reading and catching up.

Day - 1852

Friday, November 30, 2018

We ate dinner at The Temple on International Blvd. with Howard & Leslie, Dorian & Debbie.  This is a new Thai restaurant run by the former chef of Spetro's on Lakeshore.  The food was very good.  We were there for two hours eating and telling stories and eating some more.  Alice wasn't thrilled with the neighborhood, but I didn't mind.  After dinner, we headed back to San Francisco for the weekend.

Day - 1853

Thursday, November 29, 2018

USA Today

Cohen’s guilty plea that he lied to Congress about the Moscow Project feels like another turning point. All the crooks were on message, but Cohen jumped ship and has now spent 70 hours with Mueller’s team. Plus he has tapes. A narrative is emerging and Russia is at the center of it. Manafort, Stone, Corsi, Assange, Trump’s failed casinos from the 90s and the need for financing from somewhere (anywhere)...it all leads to the quid pro quo of the Russian oligarchs and Putin.  Everyone in Trump’s orbit is in trouble because Mueller knows everything. How foolish is Trump’s team to think they can pull one over on Mueller with Manafort playing both sides. This entire enterprise makes Warren G. Harding look like George Washington. Now that Trump’s written answers are in, the indictments and juicy factual tidbits will flow out. I’m waiting for the details that finally break the will of the GOP enablers, when it’s clear their corrupt commander is beyond saving. It feels like the end of Act III in King Lear...now comes the epic downfall and real madness. I just hope Crooked King Trump doesn’t blow up the world before the handcuffs come out.

Got a new fun book to go through this month, a nice xmas gift, too:

Beautifully produced, it's a list of painted book covers and bookshops around the country.  A nice distraction from the madness of King Lear.

Day - 1854

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Rehearsal this evening.  I really like Harlem Symphony.  Just a fun piece to play. 

So tired after rehearsal.  Racquetball, a busy day at work, practice, rehearsal...a long day.

Day - 1855

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Tough waking up this morning. Up at 7:20, running late all morning, but settled into work around 8:45.  I loaded all the Beatles albums onto my HP laptop at work.  The day goes by quickly when listening to Revolver and The White Album.  That brought me to this on YouTube:

I haven't seen any of these Karaoke videos, but maybe I need to because this one is so touching and fun. 

What a gift to have the Beatles as a significant part of my childhood soundtrack!

Talked to Nicole re Christmas, etc., then had to cut it short when Alice called.  Her iPhone 7 doesn't work anymore.  She took it to the Apple Store and the technician at the Genius Bar told her the Cellular Modem was broken and the phone would no longer be able to take calls.  Only two years old.  Not cool.  She can get a replacement phone for $350.  Such a drag.  We bought ours at the same time and mine is still working, though I guess I'm on borrowed time now.

I went over to Alice's after practicing for an hour and dinner to see if there was any hope in resurrecting her phone.  I'm not sure there is.  How does a cellular modem just break like that for no reason?

To bed at 11.

Day - 1856

Monday, November 26, 2018

Last week I saw The Beatles complete studio recordings (15 CDs) for $41 on eBay, so I snagged it.  Got them today and I'm in heaven listening to these gems.  217 songs in all.  Listening to these CDs dominated my day.

Came home and wanted to practice, but was too tired.  Luckily, the music isn't as demanding as the past three concerts.

Day - 1857

Sunday, November 25, 2018

We listened to the San Francisco Symphony play Beethoven's 9th Symphony this afternoon at Davies Symphony Hall.  It was pure heaven.  I'd never heard the symphony live before.  It was majestic and powerful.  I've been humming the movements all night long.  What a crowning colossal masterpiece by my favorite composer of all time (since 2nd grade).  So inspiring and life-affirming.  

Day - 1858

Saturday, November 24, 2018

A day of reading and rest.

Day - 1859

Friday, November 23, 2018

Shopped all day for deals and gifts.  We got our tickets to Japan for $999 total, 50% off the regular price.  We also got our hotels situated in Tokyo and Kobe.  We'll stay at the Keio in the heart of Tokyo for three nights and the Kobe Meriken Oriental Hotel for five nights, using it as our hub for day trips to Kyoto, Osaka.

Hit the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Barnes & Noble hard all day with good deals and gift rewards I've had stockpiled for Christmas '18.  It's nice to have all my shopping behind me.

Day - 1860

Thursday, November 22, 2018

A full day of feasting, playing games, and hanging out with my favorite people in the world!

Day - 1861

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Alice arrived home around noon.  She's so tired but can't sleep.  I'm like that too when I return from the other side of the world.  Her trip to Japan was very good.  She and her family had a wonderful time.  So many good pictures!

Day - 1862

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

On task for appetizers for Thanksgiving.  I'm thinking of making three dishes from recipes I found online: (1) tomato tartlets, (2) snack/Chez mix, (3) mustard mayonnaise for boiled shrimp. I picked up a few ingredients this afternoon.  Alice flies back tomorrow.  Her trip was a great success, but she's ready to come back home. 

Queen of Hearts decided to stand by Saudi Arabia and MBS, even though the evidence is indisputable that he ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.  Such a tragic story and such a cowardly and brazen act.  Queen of Hearts makes me sick.  I can't wait for the end of his foolish, silly reign.

Day - 1863

Monday, November 19, 2018

No racquetball this morning.  Sore all day.  Came home and had dinner, did some laundry, and thought about Thanksgiving plans.  

Day - 1864

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Played in John Ellis's Concord Turkey Shootout at In-Shape today.  A Singles was my division.  We were 20 total with four divisions of five.  I won all four games in my division, won the quarters, and the semis against Jazmin Trevino (11-3, 7-11, 11-9) in a real shootout.  In the finals I played John's son Julius, who beat me in two.  He's become a very good A/elite player.  Playing the Stockton players is always a challenge because they don't make mistakes and are trained so well.  In the finals I could barely stand straight I was so sore.  I had a great time playing and landed an entry into the Championship Tournament in Stockton in December.

I came home and could barely walk up the stairs to the front door.  I was so sore and exhausted I dropped on the couch and stayed there all night.  I fell asleep at 6 p.m. and didn't wake up until 1.  Thankfully, I took Advil before I fell asleep.

With John Ellis

With Julius