4953

Rained today! Nice to have some wetness in the air. We've been long overdue for some rain.

I ended up sleeping quite a bit. I slept in this morning and then took a nap after I came back in the afternoon. Day went by in my dreams. Dreamed a lot but don't recall what I dreamed about.

Have an acupressure session in the morning. Will go to BH's/GH's for lunch and a movie.

Election rigmarole is getting more intense. For some difficult-to-understand reasons the race is getting closer. Don't know what people do with their brains.

I called the county's registrar of voters today to see if my ballot was received. After some difficulty, they indicated that it did arrive. But, I cannot access my info via the web. I sent them a complaint. Strange times!

It's getting cooler--summer days are gone. Fall and winter are here!

4955-4954

Heard Dr. Graboys today--the author of the Life in the Balance book. He was inspiring! He continues to travel and talk with people about his experiences with the illnesses he deals with every day. His wife and a daughter were there with him. It was opportunity to be able to be with him. What he is doing makes me feel like I'm doing nothing by comparison.

BO played his 30 minute TV spot tonight. It was nicely done--very clean and clear. I went online to check on the status of my mail-in ballot. I discovered that I could not bring up my registration information. Will have to check with the registrar of voters tomorrow to find out what's going on. Hmmm! Is a puzzlement!

Got my health insurance information today for 2009. Prices are going up--about 12%--not a huge amount on a per month basis. Cost of medications (co-pays) are increasing about 30%. The increase in SS checks will more than offset these increases, but everything is still becoming more costly.

My rollover IRA is still "rolling over"! The oscillations of the stock market are not helping--the IRA lags the markets. But, I'm letting it ride for now--hoping that it will recover some as things unfold.

Today is my youngest granddaughter's birthday. She's 2! Happy Birthday Abby!

4956

Dreamed about being in a cabin with three other men. We were camping and had settled in for the night. There was a fire on the fireplace. The winds were kicking up outside. I was wrapped in a sleeping bag. I was stretched out on the floor near the fire. We were going to get up early and head off into the woods.

A second dream segment involved auditioning for a stage play. I was having problems with a particular line. We kept repeating the scene. The director wanted me to say the line in a specific way. We continued to do the scene over and over until I awoke.

Had a tasty lunch at BH's today. GH and I watched There Will Be Blood by Anderson. It's the final movie in his collection that we've been previewing. Intense film with Daniel Day Lewis in the lead. The film was based on a novel by Upton Sinclair called Oil. In many ways, this Anderson film was not as complicated as some of his other films. In this one, the focus was on a single character and that character's interactions with others. The film's script is probably quite different than what is in the novel.

Lots of reverberating thoughts! Mind seems flooded with many thoughts and ideas. Feeling a bit anxious. Will do laundry tomorrow to chill out. Dr. Graboys will be at PD Institute on Wednesday. Days go by!

4958-4957

Dance class on Saturday felt good. I think I'll get back into line dancing. There's a class at the Sunnyvale Senior Center that looks perfect. They have a beginner, intermediate and advanced set of classes.

Met P for lunch today. We then went to GH's show #3. He is very talented and creative. His show today was based on the Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and King Lear. There was an introduction using Walt Whitman's poem A Hand Mirror. A rich performance!

BH had some delicious desserts for after the show. They were delicious!

Bumped into BC today while I was downtown with P. Haven't seen her in several years. She's still active--she was helping out at the Obama rally. She, P and GH/BH are all about the same age--all of them still vital and active. Good role models!

I grow old! I grow old! Shall I wear my trousers rolled?

4960-4959

Had an acupressure session this morning. Felt good! Then ate lunch at BH's--a tasty chicken dish made with coconut milk and spices. GH and I watched Boogie Nights--another Anderson film. It was chaotic like his other movies and much more raw. The plot was intricate, like his other films we've watched. Most of these films used many of the same actors. It's like watching an ensemble cast.

Walked the baylands yesterday--and slept when I got home--slept until dinner time. Slept this afternoon after watching the movie with GH. Conked out until nearly 8PM. Watched a late version of the news. Not much of anything good--lots of turmoil in the financial markets. The DOW keeps going down! Down and down, we go!

Will attend PD dance class tomorrow. Looking forward to it. Will attend GH's show #3 on Sunday. Elections only a few days away now! Obama's looking good despite the RNC blither. I mailed off my ballot.

4961

Went to the PD exercise class today. We were given a chance to use a Wii and one of its balance/movement packages. It was fun! Amazing simulations of skiing, playing soccer, running, guiding a boat, and other activities. Not exactly easy to do and make high scores--would take some practice.

Went to the dentist today. Still some gum problems but better than last visit. Felt good to get my teeth cleaned. Came home after exercise class and went back to sleep.

Stock market tanking again today. Lots of volatility! Where is it all going to end up?

Obama seems to be doing well in the polls. Amazing bias in the media--emphasizing the one poll that shows the candidates being close--ignoring the other dozen polls that show an eight-point spread.

Also the content of the comments attached to articles is getting crude (more so than usual) and vitriolic (also more so than usual). World is full of ignorant people. Only a few more days and it will be over--except for the voting problems that seem bound to appear--there are already difficulties with some of the early polling stations.

Dreamed last night some type of complex dream, but forgot what it was about when I awoke early this morning. Still reading the Feynman book--it's really interesting and insightful. I could have been a physicist! Next time around, perhaps.

4962

Locked myself out of my apartment today! First time! Called MA to rescue me. She has a set of keys. I was so focused on mailing my ballot that I walked out without my keys. Fortunately, MA was nearby.

Had planned to do a dish walk today, but couldn't get it together. Ended up sleeping quite a while after lunch. Dreamed last night about words. There were segments with words that rhymed. Fog, dog, nog and so forth!

Did send off my ballot today! Vote early!

Have a PD exercise class in the morrow along with a dental appointment. Have to get up early--appointment is at 9AM. Enjoying the Feynman book. Interesting mind!

4963

Dreamed last night about something that had to do with a reference tool that contained information about key historical people and concepts. It was like a cross between and encyclopedia and a Bartlett's. We were doing something that had to do with the A's--Aristotle, Archimedes, astronauts, and so on. We were pooling our thoughts and retrieving sections of information based on our collective mind melds.

Great lunch at BH"s today! A tasty soup made with chicken, nuts and rice. A delicious date/nut/fig cake for dessert. GH and I watched the extras for the movie Magnolia. One track provided a diary of the production and how the director, Anderson, works and thinks. It was really interesting. He is unique! Still have a couple more of his movies to view. Looking forward to doing so!

Felt pretty good today. Was a bit logy and I stayed up late last night reading. Started the Feynman biography. Really interesting!

4964

Walked the baylands today. Felt good! Had to take a nap in the afternoon, but I'm feeling good about the increased movement. Will walk the dish again this coming week. Feels right to increase how much exercise I need to be doing.

Dreamed last night but don't recall the details. Awoke early today. Felt like getting up and out.

Noisy here in the complex. One of the families had a party today. Lots of noise and clamor.

Will be doing lunch at BH's tomorrow--and a movie with GH. He did his latest show this weekend--show #3. I plan to see it next weekend. Going to be a busy week. Walks, exercise class, dance class, dentist, acupressure, voting, and more. Made it to the library today. Picked up some new stories and a biography of Richard Feynman, the physicist. Happy reading!

4965

Went to a PD dance class today. It was a really positive experience. It was done to music and led by a trained dancer and a couple of her friends. The class was well attended. I thoroughly enjoyed the session. Look forward to going to the remaining two classes.

I made it through today without taking a nap. I zoned out in front of the TV, watching football, but didn't sleep this afternoon. I had a rather large lunch. I was hungry after the PD dance session.

I'm feeling well physically. Doing the walk to the dish on Wednesday, walking yesterday, getting an acupressure treatment, eating lunch at BH's, and going to the dance class have all contributed to me feeling up and energetic.

Will watch some of SNL tonight to see what Tina Fey and Palin do!! Oh, well!

Not sure what I dreamed about last night/this morning. I woke up somewhat early with the painters making noise as they began their labors. Hopefully, they finished up today and won't be here tomorrow.

4966

Good acupressure session today. Helped unkink some of the soreness in my legs from my walk up to the dish on Wednesday. I definitely felt the effects of having made that walk. I'm going to attempt to do that walk at least once each week. It was energizing to have done it. It felt good despite the soreness that was produced. I especially liked the heavy breathing that I had to do to make the ascent. It was like it helped clean out my system.

Dreamed last night something about zooming around in an all terrain vehicle. There was a group of us and each pair of us was zipping about in ATV's. We were sort of racing, but not in a competitive meet fashion. More like a recreational competition just to see how well each of us could traverse the countryside. It was a highly kinetic dream--filled with the noise of the engines.

Had a great lunch at BH's today--a Philippine seafood soup. It was delicious! GH and I watched a movie by the director of Punch-Drunk Love and Hard Eight--Magnolia. I realized I had seen the film in a theater a few years ago, but the cut on the DVD was so different from the released version that it was like watching a totally new movie. It seemed to be a director's cut--it seemed longer than the released version and had many more scenes. Like his other films that we have seen, Magnolia was a pastiche of seemingly disparate events that coalesced, ultimately, into resolution of all the various lives and circumstances. Intricate story with an interesting conclusion!

I met with LA late this afternoon. It was good to see her and catch up on things. While we were sitting at the cafe, someone pulled up in one of the new $150,000 Tesla cars. Guess not everyone is feeling the credit crunch. Slick looking vehicle!

Have a PD dance class in the morrow. Poetry in Motion! Looking forward to it!

4967

Last night's dreams were not about prime numbers and 3-D production devices. I was a bit tired after walking the dish yesterday. Today, I'm really sore and stiff. Looking forward to an acupressure session tomorrow. I'm hoping it will unkink some of the soreness. It's mostly in my legs--calves and thighs.

I'm already tired of "Joe the plumber" buzz from last night's debate. I wonder about the intelligence of the media. There's a lot more important issues than focusing on this person.

The apartment complex is being painted. Makes for a lot of noise and disruption. Place will look better, but I'll be glad when they are finished. See where my SS check will increase by nearly 6% next year. That will be helpful. Stock market finished up today. It's been flopping back and forth.

Heard from LL today. She has a birthday coming up. She plans to head for Hawaii. Happy Birthday! May the aloha spirit fill her days there.

4968

Walked up to the "dish" today! It was a challenge. I haven't walked uphill like that for a while. I was huffing on the first leg, which is the steepest part. But, I did it without stopping--up and back. I made the walk with B, one of the people from the PD class. It felt good even though I was really creaky later in the day. Will make a baylands walk tomorrow to unkink and stretch out.

I still took a nap later in the afternoon, but am feeling energized right now--feeling good! I need to keep on exercising--every day, if possible.

Last debate is over! Now the rush to the final results. O is looking good! Don't think McAimless is going to pull off an upset.

Complex dreams last night. In one part, I was in a laboratory. We were making 3-D objects using a computerized system. I was operating one of the production units. It required a level of attention and understanding that was difficult to achieve. In a second part of the dream, I was working with a team of people who were computing Mersenne primes! Why, I haven't a clue. It was an intricate dream and was taxing intellectually. Made me curious about such primes. I found a number of sites on the Internet that explain such numbers and how they are being computed. There are only 46 of these numbers that are known at this time.

Bought several long-sleeved pullover shirts today. (Helping the economy on such a down day!) Also picked up a few bags of trick/treats for Halloween. I picked something I can eat in case no goblins come around on All Souls Eve.

Had a couple of nails in a front tire today. Noticed that tire pressure seemed down. When I checked it I saw a nail. Went to the tire place and they found a 2nd nail. May have to get new tires--current tires are over 6 years old--they are starting to show some age damage! Wonder how I keep picking up nails!

4969

Picked up my absentee ballot from the postal drop today. Time to vote!

Spent day quietly. Slept in some this morning. Went out while gardener was mowing and blowing. Picked up mail and went for a late breakfast/early lunch at cafe. It was nice to sit in the sun and enjoy the food. Came back in afternoon. Slept for a few hours.

Dreamed last night a complex dream. It involved three separate parts that were like parallel dreams. One had to do with walking along a trail near some foothills. A second one had to do with a lake and people fishing. A third was about people leaving the lake.

Will be going for a walk in the morrow with a friend from the PD class. We'll be walking the dish. Will be interesting to see how well I do. Should be a challenge, but it's the sort of exercise I need to be doing. Onward!

Heard that my son in SoCal is near but not in the path of the fire storms that are blazing down south. Glad to hear they are OK. Santa Ana winds are blowing!

4970

Stock market rebounds--like a superball! Life goes on!

Dreamed last night that I was interviewing for a job. It was an endless process. I kept being sent from one person to the next. I answered the same questions and told the same stories over and over again. Finally, I grew tired and awoke from the dream.

I also awoke to some repairmen spraying water through my windows. They were steam cleaning the building, but ignoring the fact that there were open windows.

Had lunch at BH's today. She made a tasty Italian/Thai dish. GH and I watched a fictionalized film about two men who were recruited as suicide bombers--Paradise Now. The film walked a fine line between the several viewpoints of a world filled with violent actions. The two lead actors have small parts in the newly released film Body of Lies. The director/writer is Palestinian.

Felt fairly good today. Slept after coming back from BH's/GH's. Quiet now! The silence of the moon!

4971

Went to GH's home theater presentation of his Peer Gynt. Brilliant piece! He took the original material and wrote his own version of the work, in rhyme, so that it could be performed as a one-man piece. Incredible literary work as well as fine performance.

Two others were there--one a massage specialist that I once had work on my posture. Not unexpected that I would know somebody who was attending. Small world here in PA!

Went to bed a little earlier last night than usual. Slept in this morning as well. Felt pretty good today. Cool weather seems to make the symptoms more present--but still not sure that's what's going on. Dreamed last night but I don't recall details. It was a complex dream with lots of overtones, but no details that I remember.

Wonder what tomorrow may bring on the financial front. Hope things start to recover. My 401K is turning into a 201K, heading for a 101K it seems. Will have lunch with BH tomorrow and then a movie with GH. Full moon upon us! May the beams be bright!

4972

Dreamed last night that I was on a beach. There was a boardwalk along the shoreline with a lot of buildings. I was with another man. We were following a pair of men who were running ahead of us. We were running after them with plans on capturing them. How, exactly, was not clear.

The dream scene changed to a pair of houses. One of them was mine. I lived there with my family. The place next door was both a domicile and a business. It had an open area where food and drinks were served. In the lot in front of the place there were dozens of stranded boats. They had all been hauled into the lot and dropped in rows. I went into my house and there were some people there who were threatening. They pushed their way toward me and we began to scuffle. I awoke as I kicked out at the intruders.

Slept a fair amount today. Place was noisy--gardeners, handymen, kids, cars, and neighbors.

Had lunch at Indian place, Amrita. Was tasty! Warm, hot food to counter the cooling weather!

4973

Acupressure and a great lunch! The movie of the day: Hard Eight. It has the same director as Punch Drug Love--P.T. Anderson. GH and I will be viewing several more of his films.

Will also attend GH's performance of Peer Gynt on Sunday. Weather has shifted into the cooler ranges. Portent of winter!

Lunch today was duck, figs, carrots, cucumber, avocado, potato and pecan pie--an incredible feast! The duck was crisp and luscious. Figs were delicious. Carrots, cucumber and avocado were seasoned well. Potatoes were crunchy! Pie was superb! Wow!

Dreamed last night but didn't recall any of the details. Reading a short story collection (The Glass Slipper and Other Stories) by Shotaro Yasuoka--a writer that Murakami mentions as someone who influenced his writing. I can see why--there is a flavor of Murakami's sparseness and humor in what Yasuoka writes.

4974

Remembered last night's dream! I was in a town where I was familiar with the streets and locations. I was jogging along a main thoroughfare. I was running smoothly and I was feeling very good as I ran. I came to an intersection and I took a left turn. I had been on that street many times and knew what buildings and businesses were there. However, as I ran onto the street I was suddenly aware of totally unfamiliar buildings. It was like I was in another city, another town. Nothing was recognizable. I ran for a while, but decided to turn around and head back toward the intersection.

After I turned around, I was approaching a large building--perhaps a church. There was a person standing in front of the place near the sidewalk. As I ran up to him, he reached down and picked up some type of device that he held out to me. It looked like a high-tech baton. I reached out and took the device in my hand. I stopped running and stood there for a moment. I could feel an energy radiating from the device, and I could feel the energy flowing through my body. I suddenly felt different. I felt like I was different or changed in some way. It was not unpleasant--it felt pleasurable and stimulating. I stood there for quite a while enjoying the sensations. At some point, I became aware that I was dreaming and I awoke. I felt like I had been in another dimension.

Stock market continues to slide. My 401K account is down about 15% over the past week or so. Not as bad as some have been hit, but not good news though. DOW below 9000! Where is it going to end. Wish we could have the election immediately. Another month of this turmoil is not going to help. GOP is getting progressively nasty and negative. Obama has to respond. Glad he still adopts a more measured response. GOP is starting to panic, as they should be doing.

Acupressure session in the morrow! Looking forward to the treatment!

4975

Went to PD exercise class today. Didn't feel all that good before the class, but came away feeling somewhat better. Had lunch and slept for a while. Felt better as the evening progressed. Late now, but I'm feeling fairly clear and well.

Dr. Graboys (author of Life in the Balance) is coming to this area later this month. Look forward to hearing him talk.

I've been dreaming quite a lot each night. I just haven't been recording the dreams as routinely as I once did. They slip back into the morning mists, but they are happening. The dreams have been quite detailed and complex--involving lots of people, events and interactions. I'll see if I can not let them slip away as I awake.

It's really quiet right now. Midnight approaches and the moon is heading towards fullness. I feel at peace. I also feel alert and awake. The stillness of the night is filled with portent. Dreams are coming! The tendrils of deep dreaming wraps around me as the night subsides.

4976

Debate #2 is over! Not that much new content. A lot of repetition of old sound bytes.

I came home from lunch and took a nap (not unusual). Got a return call from the person coordinating the upcoming dance classes (PD dance sessions). I will be taking three classes--look forward to it.

I've been feeling somewhat stressed and out of sync. Keep feeling like the PD medications are doing/not doing something. It's not clear! Have a PD exercise class in the morrow. Expect that will help moderate things.

Stock market continued to tank today. Free fall continues! World markets are falling as well. Enjoy the ride!

4980-4977

Nice rainstorm over the weekend. Not a deluge, but it was great to hear the sound of water on the roof.

The acupressure practitioner put a small magnet in my ear--on the acupuncture point that controls digestion. My appetite kicked up a notch. I seemed to want to eat a lot over the past few days. I chowed down on Sat and Sunday. Topped it off with a tasty lunch to day at BH's.

GH and I watched an Ozu movie, Tokyo Twilight. Well-crafted film--plot unfolds bit-by-bit until it swirls to completion in an unexpected series of events. It was like a Greek tragedy. Ozu made over 50 films during his career.

I've been feeling anxious for the past few days--sleepy and anxious. Apartment complex has been exceptionally noisy recently. There seems to be more kids around in the afternoons.

Stock market plunging! Dow dove today despite the bailout legislation. The political fracas has turned into an ugly attempt by the GOP to discredit Obama with lies and innuendo. Makes me feel sick to hear them taking that tactic. Hope the voters are smart enough to see through this smokescreen.

4984-4981

VP debate is over! Palin did well, but stilled lacked substance. I think it bodes well for the O-team, but anything is still likely to happen. There have been so many twists and turns over the past months.

Monday had delicious lunch with BH. GH and I watched the extras on the Distant CD. It was informative to hear the artist describe what he does and what he did.

Went to PD class on Wednesday and then went for a walk on the baylands with two of the people in the class. It was good to hear what they are doing to cope with the illness. I've done a bit more walking this week--feels good.

Getting an acupressure session in the morrow. Lunch with BH and movie with GH. Weather is nice--it's been good for taking naps.