Day - 1302

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Alice and I hit Home Depot early to pick up her raised garden boxes and more mulch for her garden.  It rained today so we didn't do too much in the yard.  Tomorrow should be more productive.

Our Blackstone griddle arrived.  We'll set it up tomorrow.

My Lorrie Moore collected stories book also arrived.  Nice!

Day - 1303

Friday, May 29, 2020

Busy at work this morning.  Chris and I reviewed Grandude scenes from 1-3.  The update is coming along nicely.  Still so much work to do.  Every moment seems to be filled with lists I write, writing, and reading.

Day - 1304

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Day - 1305

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Day - 1306

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Day - 1307

Monday, May 25, 2020

Day - 1308

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Day - 1309

Saturday, May 23, 2020

A beautiful Saturday in San Francisco.  Alice, mom, Kevin and I played bridge on Trickstercards.com.  So much fun, but the audio on my and Alice's computer went out for some reason.  That was a drag, but playing with Alice and mom was great fun!

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent reading and organizing for the week.  Oh, and another batch of cowboy cookies was requested.  No problem.

Alice watched the Michelle Obama Becoming documentary and I watched it with her a second time.  So inspiring and nourishing for the soul.  This is what the country's been missing these past four years.

My focus will not be on Trump's supporters, who support this man for reasons I'll never understand and never appreciate.  Instead, I'll focus on the kind of inspiration and positive energy we must generate in order to defeat the evil, amoral ugliness that is the Trump mentality, the Trump fluke, the Trump illusion/chicanery/deception/oppression.

I love how real, human, humble, and full of grace Michelle Obama is.

Day - 1310

Friday, May 22, 2020

Chris and I went through a few revised scenes in Grandudes this morning.  Lots of fun and some snappy dialogue and screenwriting.  I do love the rhythms of screenwriting.

In the afternoon, Dorian and I spent a few hours at Howard's house.  It was so beautiful up there.  When Dorian comes back, we'll have a social distancing barbecue. 

D and Howard played a little backgammon while I listened to their wonderful banter.  I like the close comaradarie the three of us have developed.

I came back home around 5:30 and spent the rest of the evening on the couch watching Netflix.  I watched Michelle Obama's documentary Becoming and three episodes of the Monty Python documentary. 

Michelle Obama's Becoming was wonderful.  She's such a thoughtful, sensible, truly real person.  I really enjoyed this doc a lot.  I love how she spents time with every stranger she meets and really gives them her undivided attention for the few moments she has with them while she signs her book.  It's clear how loved she is.  This was a very special documentary.

The Monty Python Almost the Truth Lawyer's Cut is a documentary from a decade ago that shares all about the iconic sketch troupe.  I watched with fanlike fascination.  Life of Brian and Holy Grail are such a vivid part of my upbrining.  All my friends and I loved these guys.  I've always found Michael Palin to be the most talented and funny, though I guess John Cleese was considered the star.  I didn't know Graham Chapman was such a piece of work.  He really did have the most majestic on-screen presence, making him the leading man in both Brian and Grail.  Eric Idle is also always so good.  I enjoyed this very much.

Day - 1311

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Work was quiet today, so I wrote throughout the morning and afternoon, stopping for a shopping break at Trader Joe's.  I made a coconut curry lentil dish that was really good.

The Petty family Zoomed tonight Bob, Leo, mom and Chris shared some old family stories that I hadn't heard before.  Nana, Grandma Petty's mom, was extremely controlling and a powerful influence in Granda Petty's life.  Nana was a strict Catholic, and it was intersting to hear how decisions and family dynamics played out through the control and desires of the Catholic church.  For example, when Grandma and Grandpa Petty were married, the children had to be raised Catholic and spending time with Grandpa Petty's family (non-Catholic) was looked down upon.  So the connections and ties favored Grandma Petty's family and Grandpa Petty's family was somewhat forgotten.  In fact, I don't have any memories or knowledge of Grandpa Petty's side of the family.  That's kind of nuts.  Also nuts is the Catholic priest stories from mom, Chris, Leo and Bob and the clear pervets they had to interact with when growing up.  What an unbelievable institution.  So glad they've been exposed for the cruel evil they chosen to hide and deny for so many years.

What a memorable Zoom conversation. 

It began with memories of one of our most famous relatives, the great Canadian singer Lois Marshall.  She was the first cousin of Grandma Petty.

What an amazing voice:

Day - 1312

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Another full writing and work day, continuing the revisions I'm making on Act 1 of Grandudes.  Zoomed with my racquetball buddies this morning at 6 a.m. and Zoomed with the Oakland Civic Orchestra this evening at 7:30 p.m.  We listened to several group projects.

Day - 1313

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Work and writing day.  Revised scenes from Act 1 of Grandudes.  Spoke with Glenn and Dorian about a floral arrangement for Hakim's viewing and service next week.  The remaining funds will go toward a GoFundMe account for Hakim's sons.  So sad.

Day - 1314

Monday, May 18, 2020

Quiet at work today, allowing me time to work on Grandudes, the back yard, reading, bridge, and fixing the back door.  We went to Ace at noon and found a spring that worked.  The door is now in and the door knob works, but the door still doesn't close all the way.  It's not aligned with the hole in the frame. Not sure how to fix that. 

Making progress on all fronts.

Day - 1315

Sunday, May 17, 2020

A beautiful sunny Sunday in the Sunset.  Spent the day taking care of a project that's been on my mind for weeks, namely, fixing Alice's back door.  She has an old mortise lock that doesn't work.  After at least an hour or two of removing paint and screws (the door knob screw being particularly stubborn).  Finally, I got that door knob screw to turn.  After that, taking out the lock box from the door was a breeze.

Turns out, there's a coil spring that's broken and rusted out.  Hopefully, I'll be able to go to Ace tomorrow to get a replacement part.  This old lock is a # 10 mortise lock.  Maybe we can find a skeleton key to get the back door to work.

Yummy dumplings for dinner, then a little bridge in the evening with Alice.

Day - 1316

Saturday, May 16, 2020

It rained most of the day, so we weren't able to garden much.  Alice is enjoying playing bridge, which I find really amazing and delightful.  It's not an easy game to learn and there are so many layers to the bidding, but Alice learns bit by bit and realizes mistakes as they come.  It's a fun game to play together when we're playing against the computer.

Alice made such a yummy dinner tonight: a special stir fry dish with ribs that was fantastic!

Alice made a batch of oatmeal cookies a few days ago that have very little sugar in them.  Austin hasn't touched them, so I was told to make a batch of cowboy cookies.  I made a batch late at night.  I'm getting really good at making these!

Day - 1317

Friday, May 15, 2020

Left Oakland early for SF this morning.  Little traffic at 7:30 a.m.  We had a meeting with the synthetic lawn folks today for the turf we're installing in the back yard.  Jacob came at 8:30, made his measurements, finalized everything, and we'll see them in a month to take care of the job.  Should take two days.

At 10:30, Chris and I met for 90 minutes to discuss Grandudes.  We're writing new scenes, brainstorming new details and twists.  Lots of good ideas here.  I like this script very much.  I like our grandudes. 

Work was busy throughout the day, but at 1 I helped Alice play some bridge hands with her bridge friends.  Allen, Pang and Liz are all very nice.  A good group.  Alice likes bridge and is getting good!  It's so good for her brain.  I need to just let her play, even when she makes a misstep. 

After dinner, I had little energy for anything other than watching a few YouTubes.  We went to bed early, around 9:30.  

Day - 1318

Thursday, May 14, 2020

It's been a busy week at work and today was no different.  When I wasn't formatting documents, I was reading through our Grandudes script and itemizing all our scenes.  We have more than 100 to revise.  Some won't take much work at all, while others will demand a full re-write.  I'm so glad we're revising this.  I wouldn't mind revising all of our scripts:  Botticelli Girl, Deja Bride, Grandudes, and even our first script Preludes.

Day - 1319

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Day - 1320

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Day - 1321

Monday, May 11, 2020

Day - 1322

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Happy Mother's Day to Mom, Alice, Jill, Nicole, Lisa, and all the other mothers out there.  I talked with mom in the early afternoon.  She seemed a little down and didn't have a lot of energy.  Being away from her house for six weeks can't help.  I spoke with Jill later and that was a good chat.  I'll catch Nicole later in the week.

Alice and I went to Whole Foods in the morning on Ocean Ave., waiting in line in the wind for 30 minutes.  That's the new normal.  Alice wanted her chicken feet, so she got six pounds, along with salmon and avacado.  After Whole Foods, we dropped off cookies and cake to Cecilia. I made banana bread later in the afternoon, and we had chicken wings for dinner.  We played a little bridge online with Kevin.  That was lots of fun.  Alice is a trooper, learning the complexities and strategies of this great game. 

I practiced an hour on Bach Brandenburg 3.  I still haven't submitted my recording.  It's hard, especially at the tempo we're taking things.

I worked two hours so I wouldn't be so swamped tomorrow.  Aside from that, today felt like a day of rest as I gear up for a very busy week starting tomorrow.

Day - 1324

Saturday, May 9, 2020

In San Francisco by 8.  We went to Home Depot early and bought concrete mix and sealant for the back of the house.  We sealed the edge in the back where the house meets the pavement to prevent any future leaks from appearing.  We also did 30 minutes of yard work. 

We backed another batch of cookies for Alice's mom and Cecilia.  The day flew by.  I looked at YouTubes on fixing old doors with locks that no longer work.  It shouldn't take too much time to fix, once the pieces are taken out.  

Day - 1325

Friday, May 8, 2020

Chris and I met for an hour to discuss Grandudes.  I wrote half the new scene I was revising and Chris revised a couple of scenes.  Nice stuff!  I ran out of time to collect a few macro details on the script but I'll do that next week.  The days fly by.  I was hoping to get my part for the Bach out but this is actually taking longer than I thought it would.  I'll be a few days late for this, unfortunately. 

In the afternoon, I went to Safeway to buy baking ingredients for cookies.  I made a batch of cowboy cookies for Richard's 60th birthday and sent them over in the evening.  We caught up for a few minutes, social distancing and sipping something strong.  It was great seeing R&L for a few minutes.

Day - 1326

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Hakim's death is still very much on my mind.  So sad.  I practiced a lot today in preparation for recording my part for the Bach Brandenburg 3 that we're assembling in orchestra. 

Grandudes coming along, but slowly.

Day - 1327

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Dorian shared some tragic news today.  His son Hakim, who I knew, was murdered last night in a parking lot in Pasadena.  Dorian had few details.  Hakim was an electrician and lighting guy on film and TV sets.  I spent two days with him while he was shooting Dog with a Blog, a TV show for Disney.  It was really something seeing how TV shows were made and just how quickly things move, how spontaneous the crew has to be, and how tedious the process can be.  Hakim had a rich life and was a very hard worker.  His death really saddens me.  I hope they find who killed him.

Dorian's had a lot of grief in his life.  First his aunt dies, then his daugther a few months ago, and now Hakim.  None of this is good.

Day - 1328

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Cleared the decks at work to begin revisions to the opening scenes in Grandudes.  It's fun getting back into this story, but slowgoing.  Fun story!  We'll get together Friday morning.

Alice, Kevin and I played a few hands of bridge tonight on Trickstercards.com.  Kevin and Alice were partners while I played with the computer.  Kevin had fun. Alice had fun.  We'll do it again, maybe next week.

Day - 1329

Monday, May 4, 2020

Another beautiful Bay Area day with lots of sun and little wind, espeically in the morning.  We painted the back fench, giving it a coat of white paint to make it look new.  We'll apply another coat tomorrow.  I didn't have anything in the morning, so it was nice to take care of this project.  At 1 p.m., Alice's friend Allen set up a bridge game online at Trickstercards.com.  We played for two hours.  That was fun.  In the afternoon, in preparation for the dishwasher project, we organized Alice's garage, placing all the garden supplies in one pile, her tools in another, and getting rid of a few things she no longer needed.  That took a couple of hours.  The garage looks nice now.  Ribs for dinner -- so good -- and not much afterward as both of us were wiped out from a busy day of projects and activities. I did practice violin for an hour after dinner...preparing for my part in our Oakland Civic Orchestra compliation of the first movement of Bach's Brandenburg 3.

Day - 1330

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Alice's wanted us to try a new cookie recipe -- Cowboy Cookies.

One of the best cookie recipes I've come across.  Perfect cookies! 

We packed yesterday's batch to give to Cecila, then went to Whole Foods.  It took about 20 minutes before we were inside the store.  We bought some meat, vanilla extract, watermelon, and strawberries.

I spent some time pulling weeds in the back yard.  Alice is set to cover two large rectangular sections with synthetic lawn.  It will look nice.

It was windy today, so we didn't paint the fence in the back yard.  We'll do that tomorrow.

I spent the rest of the day reading.

Day - 1331

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Alice made a full breakfast this morning.  Yum!  We made a batch of oatmeal and raisin cookies for Cecilia and Jay.  We also completed a few hours of yard work outside. 

Listened again to Keeping Score's Beethoven's Eroica with MTT.  Such a wonderful masterpiece I never tire of.

Beautiful outside but windy.  We'll paint the backyard fence tomorrow or Monday.

Biden has a sexual harassment claim against him from the early '90s.  White men in power are pigs.  Got it.  Moving on.  Where was this story when Biden was VP for eight years?  It's May and we're just getting started with the political mud slinging.  Not sure when I'm entering the ring fulltime, but soon.  Not yet though.  If I'm in it too long, the battle will beat me senseless.  It's not good for me to think too much about Trump and Trumpists.  It channels all of the worst in me.

Day - 1332

Friday, May 1, 2020

A couple of jobs at work, but mostly watching Aaron Sorkin Masterclass videos, reading my stack of books, and playing poker with Jeff, Tom, Ron, Neal and Ryan from 6-midnight.  Lots of fun!  Good times.  We'll do that again next Friday.