4000 Days of Writing: August 2019

Day - 1588

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Worked from home today. Very easy day...not too much coming in. Spent some time practicing for our first OCO rehearsal of the season. The first movement of the Schumann is the tough piece, plus there are all sorts of tricky spots in other movements.

Had a new standpartner named Leah, 24, Chinese, a nice person but likes to sit directly in front of the music stand when playing. Not cool. We played with her music, which was not taped in any kind of organized way. Oh well. We ran through all the pieces. Some tough passages throughout, but this will be a great concert!

Came home at 10 wiped out. To bed by 10:30.

Day - 1589

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Fantasy Football Draft began tonight at 6. For some reason, the ESPN chat feature lagged and was just awful. We actually ended up using a Google Docs document and added our selections in manually for everyone to see. It seemed to work once we were all at the document site. I like the team I have. We'll see if I can pick up a few stars and assets along the way. Our draft ended around 9:30 or so.

Work was quiet so I was able to catch up on a few things.

Day - 1590

Monday, August 19, 2019

Racquetball in the a.m.

Very busy at work today. Came home and put together my fantasy football lists for tomorrow night's draft. Looking forward to a fun season.

Day - 1591

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Haircut with Ivy in the morning, then practiced for 90 minutes while cleaning up the downstairs apt., went to the library briefly and read a couple of NY Times pieces.

Alice and I are starting The Jewel in the Crown. Even though it was made in the early 80s, it still feels relevant.

We had salmon for dinner. So good. Another 60 minutes of practicing and then called it a night.

Day - 1592

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Time for Fantasy Football draft 2019. I selected my keeper list for the season and made one trade with Gordon (T. Hill and 2nd round pick for A Brown and D Johnson). I like this trade. We'll see how it plays out.

Went to Costco with Alice and bought her a new Surface Pro 6. She's been working off an old Dell with Windows 7. Now she had a great little computer that's super light.

The screen is beautiful. I think she'll be happy with it.

After Costco, we had lunch, then tended to our two gardens, one in the back yard and the other at the senior center. We harvest arugula for dinner tonight.

Both gardens are looking good!

We spent the rest of the day setting up computer equipment, running anti-virus software, updating LastPass, etc. Wow, it takes a long time to do all those things.

Day - 1593

Friday, August 16, 2019

Work was insanely busy today, which is surprising for a Friday. It's as if everyone had waited until the final few hours of the week before requesting jobs and finalizing big projects. I was lucky to leave on time.

The neighborhood poker event was on tonight and I had a good night, using a few tactics from Phil Ivey and taking down some good pots. I was up $171 for the night and have enjoyed a nice run in cards this week. I stayed out until 2. The only activity that can keep me up past ten is cards.

Day - 1594

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Very quick at work today, allowing me time to read pieces from the 1619 Project that the New York Times has put together. It's a reassessment of American history with the effects of slavery more prominent in the overall American narrative. It's compelling. The very nature of who we are as a nation is being reconstructed based on those stubborn facts and details of history.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html

After work, I went to the gym for our sixth league night of the summer. I won five and lost two. I always seem to lose my final two games of the night. We have one more week before the playoffs begin. It's all about the partner, so hopefully I'll be paired up with someone who will give us a chance to win it all.

Day - 1595

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Worked from home today, practiced a bit, cleaned up, and kept up with small jobs and texts from co-workers. After work, I headed to the Oaks and finally had the breakout session I've been waiting for, earning $380 in six hours. I had good cards that held up and made few errors while the other players were loose and not playing correctly. I also won my second high hand for an extra $90 ($100 minus tip). No flushes or straights, mainly pairs with better kickers, sets, full houses. High hand was AAATT. I came home around midnight and went right to bed.

Day - 1596

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Work wasn't too bad today, so I had some time to read and begin watching a few Masterclass videos. The Masterclass series has been advertised online for a few month now, and at $180 a year for a full-access pass, I was intrigued to hear what Phil Ivey, Itzhak Perlman, Steph Curry, Thomas Keller, and Daniel Negreanu had to say about their craft, work habits, and secrets they're willing to share.

I started with Phil Ivey, poker legend and quiet personality who has not shared much about his knowledge of poker. Absolutely riveting. His strategies always make sense, and it's all about paying attention to other players, their tendencies and habits. So much subtle information can be gained by someone's movements, facial expressions, heart beats, posture, etc. It was a true masterclass.

I also watched the first five episodes of Itzhak Perlman's masterclass. Again, fascinating, helpful, inspiring.

Day - 1597

Monday, August 12, 2019

Racquetball this morning (Steve, Ari, Kirk, Glenn, Tiger). Good games.

Work is now on the 24th floor for a few months while 25 is being renovated. I sit next to Larry and Alexandra. My desk is a little more open than on 25.

I started reading Elizabeth Gilbert's City of Girls during lunch. Fun read so far.

The Transbay bus terminal is open again after being closed a year because of cracks in a main beam. It's closer to work so it only takes five minutes to hop on the bus.

I came home, had dinner, then practiced for 90 minutes. I played through the first movement of Schumann's 4th Symphony. What a wonderful, outstanding piece. I just love it. Our concert's October 6. I love this program: Schumann's 4th, Brahms's Variation on a Theme by Haydn, and a Romance by Clara Schumann.

Day - 1598

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Up at 7, then a Costco run for oatmeal, gas, raisins and lamb. Came home and helped Alice with a few chores around the house. We cut the arugula in back and had it for dinner with strawberries, shrimp and nuts. Very good. Alice made lamb shish kebabs with cumin, pepper, salt...very good!

And easy, relaxing Sunday.

Day - 1599

Saturday, August 10, 2019

We spent the afternoon visiting Michael in Kenwood. He has such a nice summer home there and the weather was perfect. We had a fabulous lunch. Traffic wasn't too bad on the drive back. Outside Lands is on this weekend, so Golden Gate park is closed off.

Day - 1600

Friday, August 9, 2019

Big move at the office. Everyone was off the 25th floor by the end of the day.

Day - 1601

Thursday, August 8, 2019

Packing at work up for the move to 24. Everything needs to be in crates by tomorrow at 5. That took up most of the day.

After work, I had my hit and switch league. I was 5 and 0 until my final two games, which I lost. Still, a good night. I should be first seed going into the playoffs. I haven't missed a night and may be the only player who's been to every session so far.

Day - 1602

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Worked from home and played poker tonight at the Oaks (won't be able to do this Wed nights once orchestra begins). This was a brutal session. So many missed draws and no connections at all on the board. I lost $146 in six hours. I was snug and tight so it could have been so much worse. I'm noticing the regulars and many of them play horribly. I wish I could catch some cards and take advantage of the situation.

Day - 1603

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Work, home for dinner and a quiet evening studying and reading.

Day - 1604

Monday, August 5, 2019

Packing up for our move from 25 to 24 for two months, then back up to 25 in November. Even though I've only been at HB three years, I sure have accumulated all kinds of stuff that I don't really need. And lots of books that I always keep close by like an enclosed fortress. I have to get everything packed up and ready to go by Thursday afternoon.

I'm listening to Schumann's 4th Symphony with my part printed out. This is a great great symphony. Every movement is beautiful and exciting. The conclusion is fabulous. I've been listening to the original and revised version. The revised is better because the 4th movement is so much more developed and exciting. I do like the simplicity of the first three movements of the original, however. The Eliot Gardner recording of the original version is really spectacular.

Day - 1605

Sunday, August 4, 2019

Today was a quiet, peaceful day of rest. I finished Hillbilly Elegy and started crafting an essay I've been working out in my mind about white male privilege called White Male Acknowledgist. I guess it's the kind of essay I've been looking forward to reading online, but haven't found it yet . So why not just write it.

Day - 1606

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Slept in until 8 and arrived at Sunset around 9:15. We went to Noe Valley for lunch. Alice loves the Whole Foods lasagna on Noe, so we got a slice of that and a salad for me, then took it over to Starbucks across the street. We snagged a great seat and did a little people watching while eating lunch and sipping lattes. So SF!

We then did some soaking at Diamond Heights and went to the senior center to look at Alice's garden plot. It's coming along!

Spend the rest of the day reading the first half of a book I picked up from the senior center:

Well written, honest account of Kentucky's poor white community, their ways and traditions and slow unwinding of life once all the manufacturing jobs leave their area. It's like a slow 30-year progression toward empty, unfulfilling opportunities and OxyContin. Really tragic. Lots of drinking and drama going on in J.D. Vance's childhood. Much worse than mine. I'm really struck by his honesty and eye for the details that shape his life. Reading this makes me so glad and appreciative that I live on the West Coast.

Yummy salmon dinner and more reading before bed at 10.

Day - 1607

Friday, August 2, 2019

Pretty sore from racquetball last night. Work was okay, not too busy. Began cleaning up my work station for the move next week.

After work, Lisa, Richard and I took Margaret out for her birthday. Sadly, Alice couldn't join us because she had new visitors coming to her Airbnb tonight.

We ate at Almond & Oak, which used to be Penrose. I guess the owner got caught up in the whole MeToo thing so had to sell the business to new owners. The place is similar to Penrose and still delicious. We had a fabulous meal and Margaret's son Jerad stopped by to say hi.

What a lovely evening!

Day - 1608

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Work, then hit and switch league tonight.

Day - 1609

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Worked from home, cleaning, making stew, tidying up, doing laundry, all while working. So nice!

Went to the Oaks after work for a six-hour session. This has become my side gig. I won my first high hand jackpot at the Oaks, four 9s with 8 kicker, for $100 ($90 after tip). I lost a huge multi-way pot early in the session. I had a made nut straight with bettors raising and re-raising. A third diamond came on the river and two players made their baby flush. There were only six diamonds left. Ouch, that hurt...it must have been a $160 pot, something huge. Oh well. The players are typically playing hands they shouldn't be playing, and few players raise pre-flop. Starting to get my sea legs back at limit poker.

4000 Days of Writing