4527-4526

Goodbye 2009! Hello 2010! I'm spending the final hours using up my Kleenex supply. I've been wrestling with a cold since Monday. It has flattened me. Not sure where I caught the cold, but it has certainly made itself felt.

Dreamed a night ago that I was working on a piece of software that would help managers select employees for projects. In the process of checking out the application, I ran some scenarios. One such scenario was printed out and got into the hands of a person who got upset that she wasn't on the list. I tried to explain to her that it was just a test run. She refused to let it be. I was walking on the sidewalk outside the office and a car came roaring around the corner, hit a slick patch and crashed into a tree. An Asian woman got out of the driver's side. She was talking on a cell phone and she continued to talk--telling her listener that she had just crashed her car. She was oblivious regarding her passenger, who may have been injured.

I think I also dreamed about catching a cold. A reality dream!

I was supposed to go to the H's tonight for a New Year's celebration. Had to bow out. Can't go and infect others with this affliction. Had a bowl of chicken noodle soup this afternoon. I managed to sleep some. May 2010 be good for everyone!

4528

Watched the movie Camille Claudel about a woman sculptor who had a relationship to Rodin. Not a very happy movie. Some of the final scenes show her destroying some of her sculptures (which she did destroy in her life) and being admitted to an asylum (which also happened to her).

I slept in this morning. Yesterday, I had a tickle in my throat and a feeling of congestion. It felt right to just wrap up, stay warm, and rest. So I did that. Got up in the midday, showered and went out for a few errands and some food.

Wrote out checks for some of the bills. Getting and acupressure session tomorrow. Will continue to rest and recoup so I'm ready for the New Year's evening with the H's on Thursday. Ahh! Next week some classes restart. Ready for the motion!

4529

Had lunch with BH today--a somewhat revisit of yesterday's feast, but with lots of new things (soup, fried rice, shrimp pot stickers, salad, juice, apple crisp and coconut sherbet).

GH and I watched Devi, a Ray film. It was a turgid piece when compared to the Apu trilogy. It wasn't as well filmed and the plot was histrionic.

I'm having a lot of trouble with symptoms the past few days. Some of it is due to the weather--it's been cold. It also is being triggered by the activity level--party yesterday, lunch today, and lack of exercise and movement.

The days click on by. Rain is coming down. The year recedes!

4530

Went to the H's celebration for their daughter. Food was a big part of the event. They had it catered by a chef who specializes in vegan, gluten-free foods. He made some incredible spring rolls and a chocolate tart that had no sugar or wheat (he used macadamia nuts and coconut flour). Their daughter had her work displayed--an impressive collection of renderings and studies that she created for her courses. Quite impressive!

After a while, I got antsy and had to get out of the noise and the crowds. I had a difficult time talking and interacting with everyone. I kept falling into a fugue state. The food was great!

I'm still reverberating from the activity. It feels good to be back in my "cave" and getting ready to disappear into that lovely mist of sleep.

4532-4531

Ho, ho, ho! It's the day after Xmas and all is bright!

I went to GH's yesterday and we watched the third movie in the Apu Trilogy. The trilogy is an absolute masterpiece of film-making. The three story lines blend seamlessly and provide six hours of incredible continuity. The camerawork is incredible. There is only a modicum of dialogue--the images and reactions tell the tale. We think that this set of films, taken together, are the best done by any director. There are perhaps films that are better as a single film, but few that have been done so well as a trilogy.

We ended up having an omelet and salad as an evening repast. It was a pleasant day of celebration.

On the way over, I witnessed an accident. A van rammed into the rear of a Suburu sedan that was stopped at a turn signal. The van hit the car hard enough to spin it out, into the middle lane of oncoming traffic. I heard a bang and watched the sedan careening toward me as I braked and moved out of the way. Miraculously, no one was hurt. There were two people in the van and two in the car. All were unhurt although the driver of the sedan is probably feeling some neck pain today. His head hit the roof when the van made it's impact.

Had a mix of dreams the last few nights. One dream about a tailor who had made me a suit a long time ago.

Took GH on some errands this morning and noon. He has a huge repertoire of stories, tales and jokes. He is a pleasure to know. Will be heading to their place tomorrow for a celebration of their daughter's completing her courses in design. Will be a crowd of people but should be enjoyable. The old year cruises to a close. Welcome to 2010!

4533

Twas the night before Xmas! Yes it twas! A stillness has settled on the apartment compound. The little ones must be snuggling to their beds--awaiting the coming of the dawn and good old St. Nick.

Had a intense dream last night. It started with me being in a vehicle (my truck?) with three other people. We were carpooling and it was my turn to drive. I drove us to an industrial area and they got out and I went to look for a parking space. I finally found a spot on a back street. I was not all that happy about the location, but I was tired of driving around. I parked and walked back toward a building where I presumably worked. The dream shifted to later in the day. I was trying to get to a station where I could board a train. There was a huge block of construction areas between me and the tracks. I went on a seemingly endless trek around and through the construction areas attempting to reach a station. I kept asking people for directions. They would point me down walkways and corridors, but never told me enough so that I found my way. I was starting to get anxious. It was getting late and I was supposed to give a ride to the people I had brought in the morning. Finally, I managed to get to a station (not the one I wanted) and grabbed a ride to the station where I had left my truck.

When I managed too locate my truck, I was shocked to see that it had been broken into. The side windows were smashed. But, whoever had smashed their way in had looked through everything and had taken nothing. I had a roll of quarters that were untouched. The dashboard map pocket had been opened but nothing was missing. By this time, I was way late for my carpool. I assumed that they had thought I had forgotten them and had found other ways home. There were many other small details in the dream--like a man who gave me a transfer when I was trying to get to a station so I could take a train to another station.

Ho, ho, ho! It's time to go! There is no snow! How do I know? It must be so! I see a glow!

4534

Got an acupressure session today. Felt good! Had a bit of trouble with the chilly weather. Ran the heater last night on low, all night long.

Went to Mountain View for a late bite to eat. Streets were crowded; I had trouble finding a parking space. Last minute shoppers no doubt. Had Chinese food at the place I regularly frequent. The waitresses recognize me since I go there every week. It's feels good to greet them and say hello.

Waded through my junk mail pile. I still get lots of j-mail despite my light correspondence level.

Dreams last night but I let them slip away when I awoke this morning. I believe it was something interesting, but can't recall the details. It's Xmas Eve tomorrow. I'll celebrate by doing my laundry. Ho, ho, ho!

4535

PD dance class today! Was delightful! Day has been cold and not comfortable for me. It was a treat to be lost in the movements of today's class. But I'm feeling odd and out of sorts for some reason.

Dreamed last night that I was in an SUV with three other men from the men's team. We were careening down a dark road. At one point, a large spider web was noticed under the dash on the driver's side. The man who was driving started trying to step on the spider. As he did so, he had to take his eyes off the road. When he did so the vehicle would drift sideways toward a concrete retaining barrier. I thought we were going to crash into the barrier. Finally, he managed to step on the creature. I heard the crackle of the creature's body as it was crushed by his boot. There were a lot of other scenes and situations, but the episode with the spider was the part that I remembered.

Had lunch with BH today (papaya, cheese, chard, lemon chicken, juice and apple crisp). GH and I didn't watch a movie. He had an appointment with his eye doctor. He was having trouble with his left eye and wanted it checked out. BH had seen a dentist and is going to have a dental session tomorrow. I won't be going back to their place until Sunday. Time for the holidays!

4536

First day of winter! The winter solstice! A day of mists and raindrops!

BH had a toothache so we didn't do lunch and movie. Will do it tomorrow along with PD dance class.

Feeling a bit out of sync for some reason. Somewhat dreading the long holiday season with truncated dance and exercise classes. Want to be doing more but feeling logy.

Dreams have come and gone. Lost in the wanderings as I awoke. Big MegaMillion draw tomorrow night. Time for me to win! Let it be so!

To bed early tonight. Read some and then to sleep.

4537

Funday Sunday! Day of rest and day of fest. Put together a FAQ sheet on all of the classes that I'm taking. Can just give it to people who ask for info on what it is that I am doing. Was a bit of a challenge to find all of the data and write it down, but it is done.

Went online and handled some registrations that I needed to do. Also sent out holiday e-cards to people. Got up a bit late in the morning, but have been at it for the rest of the day.

Had an interesting dream last night, but I've lost the details. Probably dropped the content when I awoke this morning--to the neighbor-noise. Gets fairly cacophonous in the mornings around here. Looks like an early to bed evening. Ta, ta! Shangri-La!

4538

Watched a movie called Burn. It was a fairly early film with Marlon Brando--doing an English accent. The story was about the sugar trade in the 1800s and what Spain and England did to enslave and suppress black people--and how the poor people fought back and were slaughtered. The story was more interesting than the actors. There were lots of battle scenes, if you can call them that.

There was a lot of messing around with historical facts in the film. It was put together as if the action took place on an island under Portuguese control (it was really a Spanish territory) and that Brando's character was English (he was, in fact, an American). The man who played the rebel leader was not an actor--he was superb!

The weekend wends to a close. The jingle bells are ringing!

4539

Good day! Had an acupressure session in the morning. My left leg is feeling really good and I'm walking smoothly once again. BH created a great lunch (shrimp appetizer, lentils, stuffed baked tomato, sea bass topped with bacon and mushrooms, spicy pasta noodles, juice and chocolate pudding). GH and I watched Ray's Pather Panchali--the first film in Apu trilogy. It's a magnificent piece of cinema. Very little dialog--the images tell the story beautifully. He created magic with the camera. I noticed that I had seen the film back in July of this year. I was recognizing some of the scenes. I'm glad I saw it again in the context of seeing the full trilogy. There are themes or scenes that appear in all of the films.

Dreamed last night that I was back in a dream from sometime before. It was a dream where the dreamscape was the same as in a previous dream. I'm not sure what last night's dream was about--I just recognized that it took place in a setting I had been in previously.

I watched an awful movie tonight--THX 1138. A Lucas/Coppola effort that needn't have been made. It was painful to watch, especially after being primed with Pather Panchali. Oh, well! They all can't be good!

4540

Final movement class for this year today! It was a good session. Did some waltz movements to a beautiful piece of music. Now there will be a a three week break before classes resume.

Dreamed last night that I was going to a movie with a woman. I parked in a lot for a large chain store and we walked through an area to where the cinema was located. Went into the theater and got seats in a balcony area. For some reason, the seats faced toward the rear of the building where there were monitors on the walls. It was like sitting in a large living room. There was some guy who was a bit strange that tried to sit near us. He was acting really weird and I kept my attention on him during the film. When we left the place, I got disoriented and we walked away from where the car was parked. We ended up in a run down part of the area. It looked dangerous. We turned around and went back toward the car.

I napped this afternoon and once again thought it was morning when it was still only the afternoon. I awoke with a shock when I thought it was morning.

4541

Just viewed the memorial slide show for MD. It captured his short 45 years. There were faces of many people who had shared a glass of wine with him over the years. It's difficult to believe that he is gone.

No classes today. Finally managed to get up and out for a bit. Came back and took a nap. When I awoke, I thought for some reason that it was morning--that I had napped through the evening and it was Thursday. Ultimately realized that it was still Wednesday. When I was walking around today I felt that my gait and leg movement was good. It felt nice to be walking so smoothly.

Dreamed last night about creating a skateboard run on a sloping incline. I was skateboarding down the incline and realized that there was a way to create a run that anyone could ride. Most of the dream involved skating down the incline and setting up segments that were navigable by anyone. There were also segments of being at other kind of thrill ride facilities and taking elements of those rides to the skateboard run.

Have a movement class tomorrow. Last one for this year. It's time for the holidaze! Watched a film Amores Perros (Life is a Bitch--although it looks more like Dog Lovers, which makes more sense with the movie). In the plot, four sets of people touch each other's lives. The whole thing is depressing with each of the groups not ending up any better than they started--some much worse. Their lives were a bitch. The whole thing was gruesome and drawn out with no redemption for anyone. It got high reviews. I guess for all the blood!

4542

Classes today! Took a PD dance class in the morning and a movement class in the evening. Took a nap between the two activities. Resisted going in both cases, but glad I ended up going. There was a potluck after the movement class. People brought some tasty nibbles.

Dreamed last night that I was doing something like playing cards with three other people. It seemed like a dream based on learning how to play Liverpool Rummy with the H's. The dream seemed to last a long time with us (me and the dream people) playing many hands.

No PD exercise class tomorrow. No class until next year. Same for the movement class. PD dance has one more session this year. Palo Alto movement has one more session this year. Will be a long week or more between Xmas and the new year restarts of everything. Movies and sleep! The H's invited me to a New Year's celebration where we will play more Liverpool Rummy! Start the New Year with Liverpool!

4543

Tired tonight! Didn't nap in the afternoon. Went to BH's for lunch (special lentil soup, pickled vegetables, corn bread, corned beef with egg, fruit, and Su Wei's cake). Instead of a movie, they taught me to play Liverpool Rummy (their version). It's an intriguing card game that balances strategy and luck. I got trounced, but I learned how to play. It was a lot of fun!

MD's service was done today. I sat and focused my attention on him around the time the service was being held. Good journey my friend!

Dreamed last night but did so right after I went to bed. By the time I awoke this morning, the dreams were gone.

Dance and movement classes in the morrow. Looking forward to both of them.

4544

Weekend whizzed by! Where does all the time go? I blink my eyes and two days have vanished.

Watched a Korean film called Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring. The film was set in a beautiful valley on a lake. A monk lived in a floating temple with a young boy. The boy was being trained by the monk to take over when the monk passed away. The story followed the flow of the five seasons in spirit but not in actual time. Each season showed a snapshot in the lives of the monk and the boy. The setting was exquisite. The story a bit forced and repetitive. There were some mystical elements that seemed to stop the action rather than propel things along.

I dreamed last night that I was joining a technology company that specialized in database products. I had been hired with the understanding that I was not an expert in database sciences. I was there because I was good at coming up with clever ideas of how to re-purpose or invent ways to use existing products. The dream was very "quiet" with everyone interacting in almost formal ways. There was a key meeting in the dream when I heard an explanation of some database concepts that gave me some starting places for coming up with several new ideas.

I just remembered a person I saw while I was at dinner last night. It was a middle aged man who was eating dinner with two elderly people (probably his parents). He was moving very slowly and was having difficulty using his utensils. He appeared to have PD or he was on some heavy medication. I finished before they did so I didn't get to see him walk. His parents got up several times to refill his drinks and such. He looked terrible! I couldn't get him out of my thoughts. He made me think about where I might be headed. I see me everywhere! In the actions and behaviors of a lot of people. The world is my mirror! I don't like what I keep on seeing!

4545

Rains have come! Heavy rain pounding on the roof this morning and throughout the day. Good to have the moisture in the air.

Got a call from my son in LA. He's taking the Landmark seminar and he called to touch base. For me, it was a very moving call. I'm happy that he's decided to try the seminar. It appears that he's getting value out of the experience. I wish I could attend the final session on Sunday night.

Got news today that MD has passed on. Apparently, he died about a week ago. On Monday, it snowed in the area where he lives. His sons had never seen snow before. One of them remarked to his mother, "Look Mama, God sent snow because Dada is in heaven." The wisdom of children!

I won't be going to his service next Monday. Several of the men from the men's team will attend. Adios, MD! Send us some more snow!

4546

Had a busy day. Received an acupressure session in the morning. I got up late. It was nice and warm in bed and cool outside (and raining). Had lunch with BH and watched a movie with GH. We watched Satyajit Ray's Aparajito (The Unvanquished)--the middle film in an Apu trilogy by this director. The first film is Pather Panchali (Song of the Road) and the final Apur Sansar (World of Apu). The camerawork in the film we saw today was exquisite. Simple, balanced, and emotive. I'll be picking up the other two films so we can watch all three albeit a bit out of order.

I did not take a nap this afternoon and I'm feeling it now. Ready to get to bed and read.

BH served a tasty lunch--papaya, a wonderful eggplant spread, salad, pasta and meatballs, juice and a pear.

4547

Movement class today! I almost kissed it off. It was cold and I was snuggled deep in the bed. I waited until the last minute and had to hurry there, but I made it. I ended up not taking a nap once I returned home. Not sure how I passed the time, but here it is--bedtime again!

Watched Bergman's The Magic Flute. He did an interesting take on the opera. There were several spectacular scenes--images that were iconic and will be remembered. It had some elements of The Seventh Seal, but was quite different in many ways (color, music, filming the audience).

Don't seem to remember last night's dreams. I'm certain that I dreamed but have lost whatever I dreamed about in the mists of the day. It rained some early in the morning. It sounds like it's raining now.

Acupressure and lunch with the H's tomorrow. Need to get a few things in place for the holidays. The dream continues! Dream on! Dream on!

4548

Laundry day in the coolest of weathers. Where is the global warming? Came back and cranked the heaters up and put on more layers of clothes. Going to be cool for a while.

Dreamed last night that I was at someone's house. We were watching TV. One of the people had traveled a long way to be there. He was nodding off as we sat around the TV and talked among ourselves. In a second part of the dream, we went to a movie theater. The place was crowded and we were having trouble finding a set of seats together. One of the people in our group had some kind of problem. He wanted to get up and walk around during the movie. We took turns trying to get him back in his seat. The movie was something kids were anxious to see so there were many younger people in the audience.

Movement class tomorrow. The days go by so quickly! The month of December is passing fast.

4549

Went to PD dance class and a movement class today. Came away from the classes feeling good. That was especially true after the movement class. Something about the way it moves me!

I don't recall what I may have dreamed about last night. I watched a movie about a man who tries to reform a really bad prison. Starred Robert Redford, who did a fairly good job of portraying the warden. It was entitled Brubaker. An OK film, but nothing of major impact.

Cold weather continues. There is snow on the mountains across the bay. Heater feels good!

Tomorrow is laundry day, I suppose. There is no PD exercise class (none until January of 2010). It's been 10 years since the millennium! Where did the time go? Where did everything go? Gone to bone yards every one! Gone the bone yards!

4550

It was cold last night and today. Cold again tonight. Snow at the low elevations. Looking for a warm spot.

Didn't make it to RC CW line dance class. Kissed it off after I went back to bed in the early morning and crawled back into the warmth. Had lunch with BH (a feast of papaya, pickled beets, a stir fry of chicken, noodles and vegetables in a tasty sauce, juice and all kinds of desserts).

GH and I watched a movie written by Mike White called Chuck and Buck. It was a quirky male-on-male stalker film that was creepy, intriguing, and moving. It could have ended in any number of ways from violent to happy. I won't give away the resolution. One critic called it a Dogma 95 version of a Walt Disney movie. It was really low budget and did well at the box office. The writer has done other films like School of Rock, Orange County, The Good Girl, Year of the Dog. He is definitely one wacky person both on the screen and the keyboard.

Dreams last night were lost in the mists. May they return in plenitude! Dance and movement in the morrow!

4551

Had a visit today with my daughter and the grandkid, Jude. Jude is 10 months old, 21 pounds and highly mobile. She is standing and crawling, verbalizing, and mimicking all kinds of things (like blowing a raspberry through her lips). She is joyous and very personable. She played and enjoyed everything for nearly three hours without a moment of fuss or contention. It was a joy to see them both. My daughter is doing well and clearly loves the child.

It was really cold this morning/last night. Had to crank up the wall heater to get the place warm. Lighting the space heater caused the fire alarm to go off. Cobwebs in the heater were enough to trigger the smoke alarm.

Dreamed a two-part dream last night. In the first part, I was riding in an SUV with men from the men's team. We were in two vehicles heading off into the wilderness, three of us in each SUV. It was night and we were traveling at a good clip through a heavily forested area. Large trees could be seen lining the roadway. We seemed to be heading off on a camping trip. The second part also found me in an SUV, but I was with three men that I didn't know. I wasn't sure where we were headed. The driver was going along at high speed when we hit a soft part of the road. The vehicle went up on two wheels and felt like it was going to roll over. The vehicle had some kind of gyroscope that steadied the SUV, let it balance on the two wheels and then brought it back onto the road. Everything happened in slow motion and I could feel the pull of the leveling device. It was an amazing sensation!

Weekend wanes! Will decide in the morning if I'm going to go to the RC CW dance class (assuming that there is one). Supposed to get really cold (and wet) tonight with some chance of snow in the lower areas.

4552

Pumpkin pancakes and cranberry syrup! That was my breakfast this morning. Went to CG and made it in before the noon crowd. Was tasty!

Dreamed last night about something to do with understanding written materials. I think I recall reading and interpreting various documents. I don't remember anything about why I was doing what I did.

It's been chilly today. I'm feeling the cold. I took a nap in the afternoon and the warmth of the heater felt great. Heading for bed early tonight to enjoy the warmth and read some. Hope to hear from my daughter tomorrow about doing a visit. Been a while since I've seen the newest grandkid. Time flies! And the bird of time has but a little way...

4553

Cold day! It was really chilly this morning. Had a good acupressure session. Great lunch with BH (marinated cucumber, tossed vegetables, a bowl of polenta with condiments, bread, a piece of grilled pork, and pear.) GH and I watched Jarmusch film, Ghost Dog. It was not quite as good as Dead Man and Stranger Than Paradise. It was a more deliberate film with obvious elements--not quite as organic as the other two. It seemed a bit slow and draggy, despite the overt violence.

Dreamed that I was on a cruise ship. I had secured seats on a second-level deck. At one point, I managed to create a connection between our places on the second level and the seats on the first level. I was with my family--a woman and two children. When I created a connection to the first level, there were a few people there, but they more or less seemed to ignore us. I said something about the amount of room and space on the first level reflected the cost of such steerage.

Heading for bed a bit early tonight. Didn't nap in the afternoon so am feeling a bit wonky. Weekend arrives!

4554

Movement class today. Felt good! Keep thinking that there must be some way to create a PD version of the movement sessions. The movement and music fill the heart and soul.

Watched a movie, the Black Dahlia. The film never did take off for me. It was predictable and spotty in some disconcerting ways. Had some hints of L.A. Confidential, but was not as engrossing. The plot was thin with revelations being doled out to keep things moving. Can see why it was reviewed as being sort of average.

New neighbor is still moving in--she's been at it for nearly a month. Don't see how she's packing everything into such a small space. She and a friend of hers have been at it for several weeks. May she be moved in soon!

Some remnants of a dream seem to bubble through. I was flying--zooming about like a super hero on a scooter or board of some kind. The flying was exhilarating! I was able to zoom anywhere in an instant.

4555

Last PD exercise class for this year took place today. Frees up Wednesdays, but will miss the activity.

Don't recall last night's dream. Did dream, but have lost the content.

Have a movement class tomorrow. It's cold tonight. I've had the heater running since sometime in the afternoon. Feeling logy despite taking a nap. The cold weather is triggering symptoms.

New books and new movies from the library. The beat goes on!

4556

Went to PD dance class today and movement class in the evening. Both classes felt really good. The PD dance class was a lot of fun and seemed to trigger some feelings. Same thing happened in the movement class. There's something about movement and music that brings up reactions.

Dreamed last night about being in a vehicle (train, plane, car). Don't recall any details, but it was a dream that involved movement. It was like a continuation of the previous night's dreams.

Have a PD exercise class tomorrow. Last one for this year. It will be a long break. It will free up Wednesdays for a few weeks. Can schedule the recall repair on my truck. I got a recall notice regarding a potential problem with the brake line. Appears that vehicle can catch on fire if the line fails. Can also schedule a sit down with my rollover IRA people and find out what I have to do regarding having to draw down the account when I turn 70.5.

I have several things, like the IRA account, that needs my attention. 2010 is going to start off with a rush. 2010! 2010! Going, going like the wind!