4000 Days of Writing

Day - 1991

Saturday, July 14, 2018

An easy, relaxing day at Alice's. We had dinner at Karen's...hot pot and so good!

Mango Mouse Cake for Dessert!

Friday, July 13, 2018

Heading back to San Francisco today. We woke up early, around 5:30, showered, packed up, and left Heather's around 7:30. We arrived at the Calgary airport around 8:15, dropped off the rental car at Avis, walked to international, went through customs, then walked an hour and 30 minutes or so for our flight home. I watched Goodfellas on the flight back. Such a great movie that moves. Very well done. I remember seeing the film in theaters at Mankato when in came out in 1991.

We made it home by noon and were at Alice's at 1. Unfortunately, our Lyft apps didn't work in the airport, so we took BART to Daly City and had Austin pick us up. It worked out.

Once at Alice's, I took care of a few things online and went to the library to pick up a few books. We ate at a Chinese restaurant on Irving St. for dinner, then came home, watched a little TV, then went to sleep. It's nice to be home with so many wonderful memories of our Calgary vacation.

Day - 1993

Thursday, July 12, 2018

We left Heather's for Banff around 7:30. The day was perfect, warm, sunny, not too crowded (especially in the morning). We had a lovely day in Banff, arriving around 9:30. We ate a quick breakfast, then walked across the bridge to the famous Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. We took a few pictures, then walked back to town and headed to Lake Louise.

Lake Louise is so beautiful. I could easily stay a week!

On the way back, we drove past the Three Sisters.

Back at Heather and Rick's we ate barbecued steaks, potatoes! It's hard to believe we're leaving tomorrow.

Day - 1994

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Stampeded Day! We went shopping with Karen for Stampede outfits. Alice got her cowboy hat. Karen found a wonderful shirt and jeans. By lunch we were all set. We ate Vietnamese for lunch, then headed home for an hour or two before heading out to the Stampede grounds.

It was a great show! We were home around midnight. Love the two full rows of Hagans sitting center stage!

Day - 1995

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Our day began with a yummy Stampede breakfast of waffles, bacon, berries and Red Rose tea.

We lounged around in the morning, then headed over to the Hagan compound for an afternoon of games and fun. Karen drove in from Markerville....sweet!

While at Steve and the Hagan family house, we played foosball and ping pong. A good size storm rolled into Calgary in the afternoon, a good day to stay inside and play games.

Unfortunately, Christa received a call from work notifying her a plane had crashed against a mountain. No one had died, but being new to her job and in an important position, she decided to cut her vacation short and leave for Ketchikan that afternoon. It was sad to see her go.

When we returned to Heather's, Rick had cooked up some very good Indian curry, rice and bread. It was so good.

Jackie, Tavin and were over. After dinner, we played a game Jackie had created that was similar to Apples to Apples but involved a Christmas theme. It was great great great fun! Jackie's so creative!

We went to bed around midnight.

Day - 1996

Monday, July 8, 2018

We went shopping at the Iron Cross mall and Dollarama where I bought my red cowboy hat, then hung out at Heather's in the afternoon and played cribbage. For dinner, we took Heather and Rick out to dinner at Earl's (with Jackie and Tavin), and watched a great movie from Heather's library that she hadn't seen (Love and Mercy, about the Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys).

It was a relaxing, enjoyable day in Calgary. Tomorrow, we head to the Hagan compound for some games and Hagan bonding!

Day - 1997

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Alice loves her T&T Market, so we went there early this morning for morning breads and Portuguese tarts.

We then went to Starbuck's for coffee, then a sushi place for lunch before heading out to Markerville for Karen's BBQ!

Alice at sushi restaurant

It takes a little under two hours to get there. The place was all ready for a house full of Hagans. Ross and Kari were there and Kari's kids Kita and Bane. They're all going on the cruise, so we talked about the upcoming weekend and caught up. The day couldn't have been better, sunny with a light breeze to keep things cool. Jackie and Tavin arrived a few minutes after us, followed by Connie and Justin. Tavin set up the badminton net, which was a big hit after lunch.

The triplets and Uncle Steve and the boys' families arrived 30 minutes or so after us. 12 Hagans plus me under one roof. Nice!

Inside Karen and Janet's house

Lunch was so good...KD, beans, steak, burgers, hot dogs, salad, with Dilly bars for Dessert

Lots of badminton after lunch

All relatives at Aunti Karen's BBQ

The Hagan wives

Matt, Christa, Rob, Meredith, Stacy, Brad

We stayed all afternoon until around 7:30 or so. The clouds rolled in and just as we left it began to rain. It was nice catching up with Kevin Evans. We missed Leif and Janice and their kids. They weren't able to make it. Alice had fun. We slept a little on the ride back, then hit the hay once we were home. We were both dead tired.

Day - 1998

Saturday, July 7, 2018

The medicine went through me last night and I still wasn't feeling my best. I took some coughing medicine and that helped a lot.

We were up around 7. I was packed and ready to go after showering. We picked up Lyft around 9:35 and hung out at the International Airport for an extra hour, sipping tea and eating sandwiches Alice picked up at the Chinese bakery on Irving St.

Our flight left at 12:20 and we arrived in Calgary around 4. I watched The Post during the flight and we really impressed with it. I'd missed seeing the film during awards season, but found it gripping and timely. Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks are icons for a reason. They're always so good.

The rental car spot in Calgary is about 12-15 doors away from the international gates, so we had a good 14-minute walk to Avis. We got a upgraded new SUV, nice!

We were at Heather and Rick's by 5:30. Dinner was lasagna with Jackie, Tavin, and Connie. It was so nice arriving and being with Heather's family again!

We played Winning Ticket in the evening. I loved this game as a kid, but since it's all about luck, I find it a little boring as an adult. The game went on too long, and in the end Jackie won the big lottery and the game. I didn't win a single lottery and ended up fourth or fifth. Heather was ahead the entire game, but was denied the final lottery, so she came in second. We went to bed around 11:30. Alice went to be earlier. Tomorrow's the BBQ at Karen's house. Big day!

Day - 1999

Friday, July 6, 2018

Went to work today. Still not 100%. Not even close. I caught up with the week's tasks, cleared my desk for a week off, then headed to Alice's a little before 5. Mathew and Rathna came over around 6:15. We had a lovely visit and dinner at Noriega Teriyaki House for some delicious sushi.

They headed to Oakland for the rest of the evening, so Alice and I headed back to her place and went to bed early in anticipation for our week long trip to Calgary. Our flight isn't until past noon, so we don't have to get up too early.

Day 2000

Thursday, July 5, 2018

I felt a little better today, but not much better. My throat is still sore, I can't talk, and my energy is still very low. After three bouts of the flu this year, I have to take better care of my immune system. Vitamin C, Vitamin B complex and more leafy greens. I should probably sleep more.

I mailed out all the invitations this afternoon to everyone who's going on the cruise in September. When we return from Calgary, I'll mail the remaining invites to those who can't make it. I really like how the invitation came out, and I think the refrigerator magnet is cool.

Here's the original:

Oh yeah, we'll be playing a little of this at the reception:

I managed to pack clothes and games for Calgary. It'll be a wonderful, magical Hagan reunion during Stampede week. Very exciting!

Holy cow, I can't believe I'm on 2000 days of this. I refer to this often because the last few years get all bundled together. I can't keep much straight anymore and my goodness I'm slow. I think the only way to end this madness is to begin the downward countdown, which means I need to change the name of the blog from 1000 Days of Writing to 4000 Days of Writing. I'll try to remember to do that.

Day 1999

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Slept a lot, addressed wedding invitations, ran a load of laundry, and that was about all I could do. This flu is so similar to what I had last August after returning from India. It's totally kicking me in the butt.

Day 1998

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Went into work to clear out my queue, stayed until noon, then went home and back to bed. I still feel horrible. I have so much to do before we leave for Calgary Saturday, but I wasn't able to do anything.

Day 1997

Monday, July 2, 2018

I'm still feeling awful. I didn't go to work today and slept most of the day.

Day 1996

Sunday, July 1, 2018

I was really sick all day. I didn't do a thing but sleep and eat very little. It was awful. Poor Alice. She forced me to drink and eat. I left around 8:30 and went right to bed when I got home. I doubt that I'll go to work tomorrow.

Day 1995

Saturday, June 30, 2018

I woke up last night with the beginnings of a sore throat and this morning I didn't feel well at all. Not cool because Alice and I have things to do this morning and we're seeing Michael in Kenmore at noon. We did all those things and I put a good face on it, but once we arrived home at 3:30, I showered and went right to bed. I didn't wake up until the next morning.

Day 1994

Friday, June 29, 2018

Rounding out another work week. Our invitations arrived. I'll mail them out next week, just in time for our Calgary trip. The roster of guests is solidified for the most part.

Day 1993

Thursday, June 28, 2018

I'm taking a break from news for the summer. No more Morning Joe, no more Hardball, no more NYT for a couple of months. News has become an unhealthy addiction. We began our summer hit and switch league tonight. I played 7 games, winning 4 and losing 3. Lots of fun, but I was sore afterward.

Day 1992

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

So the big news today is Justice Kennedy is retiring in July and the GOP wants to create a conversative majority on the bench, a sort of American taliban with laws and decisions from earlier centuries. It's really depressing to see the Con Clown wield so much power. He's gaining in momentum. It's sickening.

Day 1991

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

I'm troubled that the Supreme Court upheld Con Clown's travel ban. I don't understand how that is in any way right. I get they want to acknowledge presidential powers, but seriously? A travel ban against a few specific countries? Way to embolden the nut case. It makes me mad that the extremists and crazies are winning.

Day 1990

Monday, June 25, 2018

The border separation nightmare continues. The Con in Chief's press secretary was asked to leave a restaurant over the weekend. The didn't want to serve her. I think that's wrong. As much as I find Sarah Huckabee Sanders repugnant, she's still allowed to eat at a public restaurant. It seems hypocritical to refuse her service simply because she's an enabling pathological liar for the Circus Con Clown.

Day 1989

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Day 1988

Saturday, June 23, 2018

Day 1987

Friday, June 22, 2018

A warming trend has taken over the Bay Area. No need for jackets today. Work was fine. I'm training another new person on Monday. I like breaking up my day with training sessions.

Poker tonight and at first my cards were good, but then the cooled off. I ended up dead even.

I pick up Alice from the airport tomorrow. Can't wait to see the Wu.

Day 1986

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Went to a reading sponsored by the San Francisco Foundation on the stories of women of color that are collected in an anthology edited by Deborah Santana called "All the Women in My Family Sing."

The book includes 72 short pieces about such topics as identity, immigration, beauty, family, trauma and travel. Fitting reading during these dark times, I'd say.

Rossana invited me and Lisa Young. We had delicious appetizers beforehand. Four writers attended and read their contribution to the anthology. Camile Hayes's piece called Klansville, USA captures her move as a child from LA to North Carolina and feeling the first blunt effects of racism at school, how it stays with you like a scar.

Afterward, I caught a ride with Lisa back to Oakland, talking the whole way, catching up on our lives, accepting the limitations of this country and the maddening demise of civility and common decency that has ravaged the national discourse.

Day 1985

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Day 1984

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Day 1983

Monday, June 18, 2018

Day 1982

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Father's Day...called Dad, Uncle Chris, Uncle Steve, Tom, and Nicole's husband Mike. Walked to 21st and Irving for Vietnamese sandwiches. Caught up with a few things. This week is looking extremely busy.

Day 1981

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Full day with Michael Bell. Went to Andytown, Devil's Teeth, San Tong for Chicken Wings, then sushi on Noriega. Lots of eating and catching up.

Day 1980

Friday, June 15, 2018

With our training gone at work, I'm filling in Monday morning with three new hires. I spent all afternoon reading over Danielle's new hire materials. She was so organized! Monday's going to be brutal.

I came home, had dinner, cleaned up and got ready for Michael Bell's visit. He's here through the weekend.

The Con in Chief and his administration are taking heat for their immigration policy to separate children from their parents as a deterrent when caught crossing the border illegally. Gotta love the diehard con-in-chief supporters who embrace this mentally ill demagogue whose evil knows no bounds. This is evil. AG Sessions' speech justifying such actions and using the Bible as legal support is evil.

Is any of this surprising? Not a chance. What's surprising, though, is the cowardice of Republicans in Congress who say and do nothing for fear of political retaliation. Their inaction emboldens this amoral administration. I'd like to think a strong November turnout and basic common sense halts the madness. I guess we'll see. In the meantime, King Clown continues his three-ring circus.

Day 1979

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Spend an hour or so at Richard and Lisa's after dinner. Rodney and Soph were with. It was so nice spending time with them in the back yard over chocolate mousse.

Day 1978

Wednesday, June 14, 2018

Day 1977

Tuesday, June 13, 2018

Day 1976

Monday, June 11, 2018

Day 1975

Sunday, June 10, 2018

Concert day. Woke up at 6:15, caught up a little on my journal, had breakfast, then off to Costco for gas and haircut with Ivy.

Day 1974

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Orchestra dress rehearsal from 9:45 - 12:30, then home to finish folding laundry, vacuum, tidy up a bit, before heading to Sunset. We had Thai for dinner at Cottage Thai on Judah, which was good. I really liked the curry dish we ordered.

Day 1973

Friday, June 8, 2018

This makes no sense to me:

This makes more sense to me:

Those inner demons can be relentless and the frustrating thing about life is having to reset every day. Some days are easier than others, but when you're on top and own the world, do you justify unplugging without looking like the world's biggest idiot? I don't get it. Life is too rich with inspiration and love to allow the darker forces to call the shots. Foolish, unnecessary, disappointing, painful.

Day 1972

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Day 1971

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Day 1970

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Day 1969

Monday, June 4, 2018

Racquetball, fairly routine work day, though our trainer Danielle, who was on leave the past several weeks, will not be coming back. That was surprising to hear. She's a wealth of information and has so many great handouts and forms. I always looked to her for thoughts and ideas. She left her email so I'll touch base with her at some point I'm sure!

The afternoon was busy. I'm helping Alice with her Social Security disability forms. She has an appointment tomorrow.

After work, it's practice, practice, practice for Wednesday night's dress rehearsal, plus filling out my absentee ballot for tomorrow's CA primary.