3318

G&B class today! Made it almost on time! The class now starts a bit earlier than before and I seem to have problems adjusting. But I was there only a few minutes late today--traffic contributed to make me not beat the clock. I'm in pretty good shape and the Monday C&M and Wednesday G&B classes are the keys. Both classes have helped me trim down and lean out some.

Went to the H's after class to read more of the Bohemia history treatise. The author did an incredible job of ferreting out details and events over a huge span of time (1700s to present day). I took three wall hanging items to them and they will be mounting them on the walls somewhere in their home. I was glad they wanted those items.

I came home and crashed for several hours and then went to WF's to grab something to eat. The place was in chaos--they are renovating sections of the store incrementally. Today/this week it's the deli/hot dish area which greatly limits choices of things. I settled for a couple of pizza slices. I tweaked my afternoon lethargic period by getting a SB's Frappuccino. One of those in the afternoon seems to lift me over a fuzzy period of the day where if I don't imbibe I want to sleep.

Watched an Israeli film--Footnote. It was about a father and son who are Talmudic scholars. The father is known but not generally acknowledged professor who has been passed over for the Israel Prize for two decades. One day, he receives a phone call letting him know he has won the prize for that year. Unfortunately, the prize was to be awarded to his son and the phone call was in error. The film goes from there to the ups and downs that take place as the mistake is unravelled. The film was a bit slow but  an intriguing look into family relationships, academics, and the vagaries of fate in a person's life. It's in Hebrew with English subtitles (and other combinations).

Movement class tomorrow and perhaps some progress with the move tasks. Monday, Wednesday have no classes next week and on Tuesday there's only a resistance training session! So, looking like the weekend plus the early part of the week will be available for more moving tasks. So be it!

3319

DSL was acting flaky earlier today. It seems to have cleared itself, magically! Suspect that around 9pm people started dropping connections so they could start getting ready for bed. That was the time the signal seemed to pick up and began loading sites smoothly.

I'm sort of fuzzy tonight. Two classes today and no napping. I felt really good this morning but have faded some as the day went by.

I shared a table at SBs when I stopped for a Frappuccino. One guy was from India. They were trying to log on to the Internet but were getting password authorization messages. They were quite friendly and asked me what I did for work. I told them I was retired and one asked me what I would want to do if I decided that I didn't want to stay retired. I couldn't come up with an answer! I experienced a severe case of brain freeze! My mind doesn't work the same way anymore! I found myself mumbling and fumbling over how to respond to their queries. But, the question he asked keeps coming back to me--what would I want to do if I didn't want to stay retired? What might that be?

G&B class tomorrow! And more sorting and dumping perhaps! Let there be emptiness in the universe where once there was clutter! Yes, let it be so!

Have started letting people in the classes know that I'm moving--sadness and good wishes get wrapped in a bundle with each conversation. Time to move on--moving on with time!

3320

C&M class was a hardy workout today. I'm surprised at how strong I seem to be versus some months ago. But, I'm also do not have a lot of stamina. I get quite tired after such a class (and then reading aloud at the H's, running some errands, grabbing a sandwich) and have to sleep some (I dropped off at about 2:30pm and slept for about two hours). I then went to TJ's for some groceries and stopped for a SB's Frappuccino. These last items left me awake and I watched a film. I'm still feeling awake now and just spent some time sending emails to my daughter and oldest son--updating them on the status of the move (perhaps should be marked The Move).

Watched a spy thriller--Argo. It was a hostage rescue story based on real events--Iran taking over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and holding people prisoner for 444 days. Argo is about six Americans who managed to escape by pretending they were a Canadian film crew doing SciFi film set in the barren Iranian desert area. The whole charade was organized by the CIA, aided by the Canadian government, and pulled off blatantly and courageously in the face of the Iranian military.

The film version of what happened was enhanced to heighten the tension of the portrayed events--for which the director/actor took some flak (Ben Affleck).

Getting sleepy! Growing weepy! Time to bed! PD dance and resistance training in the morrow--and perhaps some moving tasks as well! Ring the bell! Oh what the hell! Make it knell!

3321

Storage locker is box-free at last! And I've got them sorted and awaiting transport from the apartment's mini-locker. But I've picked up a sinus drip that is persistent. I did the laundry today and the soap smells kept me blowing my nose through the whole event. I put the sorted boxes into the apartment's mini-locker and have about three still in my truck. They contain old computer stuff that I'm hoping the local Computer Museum will want. The stuff spans about 30 years--early 80 to present. Amazing!

Watched a French/Japanese film this evening--Fear and Trembling. It's about a young woman (Belgian) who speaks fluent Japanese and takes a job in one of Japan's mega corporations. She comes in with the naive attitude that she will be accepted by her co-workers and bosses without prejudice. She was born in Japan and lived there for five years. She feels that the job is like coming home for her. She encounters a wall of unspoken rules that any Japan-born person would know my instinct. So she is constantly making mistakes and being shuttled down the ladder of responsibility until she's mopping floors in the bathrooms. The film is sweet, funny, uncomfortable, and a lot more. The woman who plays the key role is a very likable type (I've seen her in other films) and you can't help but root for her as she battles her way to the bottom.

C&M class tomorrow (plus or minus my sinus drip). I seem to need to nap/sleep in the afternoons--even after a green tea Frappuccino (but none today)! Getting late! Time to skate! Can't be late to the open gate!

3324-3323

The DSL wasn't working last night. It seems to be back online today. I have no clue as to where it went and how it was restored--it's all techno-magic! I came back from movement class and nodded out for over 2 hours. I hadn't done anything particularly strenuous, but I was zapped (along with my DSL connection).

I watched a spy thriller--Unknown. It was a cleverly plotted mystery about a man who arrives in Berlin with his wife, gets put into a coma in a taxi accident, and awakens to discover that nobody knows who he is (except himself). His wife doesn't confirm that he is her husband. In fact, she is with a man who says he is her husband and has a passport that supports his statement. Meanwhile, the hero (who has lost his briefcase with all of his documentation) is coming off as a nut case. At some point, he too is convinced that he is going crazy. He's also convinced that someone is tracking his movements and is trying to kill him. As the action progresses, he restores more and more images of his past life with his wife and why he had come to Berlin. One of the reasons he (and his wife and her husband) are there is so that they can attend a biotech conference. There are several breakthrough announcements and meetings to take place at the conference. The spy aspect of the film takes over in its latter half and leads everyone to various unexpected conclusions. Hints about the various conclusions are sprinkled throughout the first half of the film, but they don't come together until the latter half.

Went to resistance training class this afternoon--first one in two weeks. I felt OK in the class--I didn't seem to have gone backwards. I guess the storage locker workout helped me maintain. I loaded 10 boxes of stuff into the apartment mini-storage area this morning. I'm planning to hit the locker again tomorrow with a goal of removing all the boxes stored there plus any items that are definite dumps! Let there be light in the locker!

3325

I was foggy today, foggy and blurry and not so in sync! Was partly some reverb from yesterday's activities--which went well but left me a bit tired. For some reason, I forgot that today's G&B class started earlier--at 9:45am. I somehow went back to the old schedule, thinking that the class started at 10:30pm. So, I got there late (about 30 minutes into the 1.5 hour class) and had to jump in without a lot of warm up. My warm up was yesterday as I moved boxes from the storage locker and dumped things in the recycle bins. I went to the H's after class and read a chapter of the Bohemia book to GH. I wandered home from that activity and wobbled through the rest of the warm afternoon doing a few errands. I went to SB's for a green tea Frappuccino, enjoyed the AC that cooled the place, and settled down some. 

The G&B class was, as promised, a bit more challenging than what it started out to be. She keeps on our toes (both literally and figuratively). I can feel the strengthening that's being done, but boy is it tough to do much else after the classes. Movement class tomorrow--a bit more sedate and restful.

I hit a mind warp this evening! I made a withdrawal from my bank and was reconciling my balance against my check register. Because of my fog and blur, it took me way too long to do this simple task. I don't know where my keen mental abilities have gone, but I don't seem to be operating with the same skills I once had (or thought I had). I can't seem to multitask very well--I do better with more linear activities, I think! I'm not as certain about anything anymore! The wheel is spinning! The world is going round! I am sometimes flying! I'm sometimes on the ground!  

3326

Found a drop location for CDs, cassettes, and VHS tapes--no fees! The drop site was just around the corner from the storage locker! Small world, indeed! I had a document box full of  video tapes, about 50-75 cassette tapes, and several hundred CDs! I hated to dump all of those CDs but I'll be better off with an iPod versus piles of discs. I had collected all of the tapes and CDs when I was teaching CW dancing. Gone, gone, gone!

I also humped 10 or so boxes out of the locker and into the truck. Lesson: Never again rent a storage locker that is upstairs! I made the 10 or so trips up/down the stairs, but not all that easily since some of the boxes were quite heavy (as were the tapes and cassettes). I briefly surveyed the contents of the boxes and determined the ones to be kept. I'll put them in the apartment storage area (which is on the ground floor) as part of my keep pile. I'll go through them in detail at the new place.

After that morning exercise, I grabbed a bite to eat and fell asleep for a few hours.

I've got another trip to the storage locker for the remaining boxes--about 10 or so. After that, there is only a pile of miscellaneous debris in the locker. I can see the end of the storage locker tunnel! The end is nigh!

Have a G&B class tomorrow! Getting into a rhythm--packing/exercising/sleeping and such! Oh, happy daze!

3327

C&M class was a challenge today! Irregular classes over the past two weeks let some of muscles loose tone (or lose something). The side planks were difficult to maintain, especially on the left side. After three repetitions on each side, neither side was all that steady. But, I made it through and felt the better for it until I got back to the apartment and nodded off for two hours or so. Awoke and did an acupressure session (which put me back in balance). Had a tasty dinner from the WF's buffet.

Did a little sorting of cassettes and CDs. I think I've found out what it takes to recycle tapes, video tapes, and CDs--I have to separate the jewel boxes from the media itself and remove any paper inserts. Then, everything can be selectively dumped (somewhere). Being green doesn't necessarily make it easy!

Will transfer a load of boxes (goal is 10) from storage to the apartment tomorrow. I'll then go through each box and apply the keep/dump/donate rule. It will be interesting to see what's in some of those boxes--I've carried around a few of them for quite some time. No classes tomorrow which gives me a moving day--let me be moved!

3328

I had some repercussions from yesterday's activities--I slept today away! I couldn't pull myself out of the bed both either this morning or this afternoon. I just couldn't pull up the energy levels to go at it again today. So, the day was slept away. I have a C&M class tomorrow and a reading session at the H's followed by an acupressure session in the late afternoon. Tuesday is an open day--no classes. Hopefully, I can make some progress then.

Picked up the Azilect prescription at nearby Walgreen's. No respite from the donut hole--had to make a large co-pay and will continue to do so until the end of the year. Ho, ho, ho! And away we go!

Watched a Colombian film this evening--Karen Cries on the Bus. The lead character, Karen, finds herself in a bad marriage. She chooses to go off on her own even though she has no particular skills or talents. She rents a room in a rundown flop house and begins her trial-an-error attempts to find herself and a place in the non-forgiving world. She does all manner of things including panhandling, shop lifting, enrolling people door-to-door in English classes, and other adventures. She befriends another young women in the apartment building who introduces her to some of her associates and activities. In a sad way, they support each other in their quests of finding a place in the world. Eventually, Karen manages to put together a few hesitant steps toward finding herself. An interesting film, well acted, and enjoyably woven into a short journey of a soul seeking life.

Managed to listen to Say's You NPR show today! Today's special words were "frim" and "mabsoot".

3329

Hit the storage locker today! I am amazed at what I'm finding there--long forgotten items--some big and heavy. I made two runs to the locker. On the first run, I gathered all of the large pillows that I had made to go with my large futon. I had dumped the futon on a previous move, but still had a huge pile of pillows. I also had three 4-panel shoji screens that were fun to carry down the stairs and load into the truck. The pillows and shoji screens made up my first load. Of course, Goodwill wouldn't take the pillows, but did take the screens. I put the pillows in one of the clothing dumpsters that are in various parking lots. The pillows were cotton fabric with wool stuffing, so they should be able to recycle as fabric scraps.

I then went back to the storage locker and grabbed all of the computer debris. Goodwill does recycle those items and they took everything that was in the truck. Yeah!!

But that did it for the day! It had started to warm up after a cool morning and I was hungry. I grabbed an Asian sandwich from The SpiceKit, ate it and headed back to the apartment. I napped for a couple of hours--until it got too warm to stay in bed. I made a dent in the storage locker, but it's still got 15-20 boxes of something. I may go back to the locker tomorrow (if I feel OK) and will perhaps move a load of boxes to the apartment's mini-storage area--to stage them for the move. I'm too muzzy right now to be really clear about this 2-stage move, but I think it makes sense. In this way I can vet each box that will be moved.

I watched film made in Uruguay--Bad Day to Go Fishing. It was a good film--quirky and twisting--about a couple of clumsy Rocky characters. A former champion wrestler and his slick manager/promoter tour the country and set up local wrestling events where a local strongman is pitted against the champ--for some prize money. The locals never fare well in the matches and never collect the prize money. But the champ is getting older, and the manager is starting to lose control of the promotion activities. The camerawork on the film was impressive--and the editing was well done. You can almost miss what is said/done that creates the film's title.

Took my Azilect pill this morning instead of late last night. Didn't seem to notice any difference in symptom levels although I believe I did sleep more solidly last night. Will continue to take it when I awake in the mornings. Have to pickup a refill at the local Walgreen's tomorrow--the doctor redirected the prescription to a pharmacy that I can go to when I move. Ahhhh! Technology!

3330

Got positive feedback from neurologist today regarding my PD status. We decided that we didn't need to alter medication levels. The light symptoms that I seem to be showing (mostly this week--linked to stresses over moving) can probably be mitigated once the stresses are removed. I'll experiment with moving the Azilect to early morning just to see if it makes any difference with nighttime sleep. It's a 24-hour dosage so it shouldn't react to being ingested anywhere within a 24-hour period.

I felt good last night/this morning--compared to previous 2-3 days after the weekend clearing that I managed to get done. But at the doctor's and into the afternoon, I experienced some replay of the energy depletion like earlier in the week. I'm still thinking that I need to postpone the move into September--and get some kind of help with the keep/donate/dump process. I only seem to be able to do so much each day--if I try for more, I essentially collapse. Makes me crazy! Have to find a balanced way to get through this process.

I came back from the doctor's appointment, grabbed some food, and came home and collapsed--slept for an hour or more and took my afternoon medication. After walking to SB's (green tea Frappuccino) and back, I seemed to be leveling out some. It's warm and the apartment is like a sauna, which isn't making it easier to get moving. No classes for the next two days (and next Tuesday)--will see what I can do if I just scale back on my expectations of what I think I can do. Let the good times bowl!

3331

Went to movement class today. Felt good while I was moving, but regressed back into funk mode, which is where I've been for the past few days. My energy system is out of whack and I don't know when it'll come back. I'm feeling really compressed and can't seem to raise the energy to do much more than a class--and then a collapse back into hover mode. I've got an appointment with the neurologist tomorrow. Part of what we'll discuss is whether I need to adjust the medications. My thought is that I should drop the Azalect (which doesn't seem to be helping me make it through the full night before symptoms appear) and increase the Stalevo by one tablet. I would be taking medication every six hours instead of the eight hours I do now. My sense is that I getting some wear off at the end of each eight-hour period--and there's whatever is happening with my bedtime dosage of one Stalevo and an Azalect. We shall see! We shall see!

Watched a fun movie this evening--Matchstick Men. It's a story about a con man and what happens to him when an unknown daughter appears in his life. I've seen the film before, but didn't recall the surprise ending until it played out. Suffice it to say that con man got conned and was humbled by what happened. It was an enjoyable film--some laughter, some suspense, some mayhem, a set of surprises at the end.

It's looking more and more like me doing a move in September and not in August. I'll just have to take as long as it takes! I can't seem to push the process--have to flow with everything! Let it flow, let it flow!!

3332

My DSL connection seems to have healed itself! Brings up sites fast and furious now! Much better than having it only chug along and not make connections! The G&B class today was strenuous. I had a difficult time doing everything she asked us to do. It felt good but it zonked me. I awoke early this morning and felt like going back to sleep--except I also wanted to do the class. I went to the H's after the class and then to the dental hygienist for my last round with her. She's been my hygienist for a long while. After she finished her treatment, I went home and spaced out for a while. I got up and out to grab a bite to eat. I was and still am feeling wobbly and kind of out of it. I thought about doing something to further the move, but I couldn't get my body to take control.

I ended up watching a set of MI5 episodes. They are like 24 Hours but with everyone having an accent. The two episodes I watched seemed thin somehow when rolled up against something like 24 Hours. The MI5 treatment is more like a video game--with lots of fast cuts, screen graphics, and such.

Have a movement class tomorrow and nothing else planned exactly. I would like to start moving old computer stuff out of the storage locker and into the GreenCitizens hands. Have time tomorrow, Friday (only have a doctor's appointment), and over the weekend (two free days). I should be able to make some inroads over that time period. Let it be so!  

3334-3333

My DSL connection is still acting flaky. I couldn't get connected last night and so didn't post. It was still off/on most of today, until just now. What a pain!

I brought all the stuff I had retrieved from the storage locker on Sunday up into the apartment. I sorted through all of the clothes and donated a pile of stuff. Someone will enjoy nearly new items for little to nothing.

Today (Tues), I got the information on what I'll need to haul my truck and belongings--a 14ft. truck and a vehicle carrier or a 5x8 trailer if I'm going to use my truck as the puller. Also found the nearby local place where I can recycle electronics, unwearable clothes furniture, and such. Most of it could go just down the street to the Goodwill. I'm getting concerned about being able to make the end-of-August departure date. I may need another month (at the rate I'm clearing things)--Saturday/Sunday wore me out--I ended up only doing a little yesterday and not much more today.

Tomorrow I have a G&B (early) class, a reading aloud at the H's and a dental hygiene--probably all I can manage. Thursday is a movement class. Friday I have a doctor's appointment but no resistance training--and then the weekend. I'm feeling that I have to make a go/no go decision early next week.

At least I'm back online (for the moment)! I think the ISP (ATT) is being erratic for some reason--probably overload based on the number of WiFi's that show up in the connection list.

3335

Late post. My DSL line was not responding earlier tonight--couldn't connect to the Internet. Seems to be back online now.

Made it to the storage locker today--unfortunately! Lots of stuff in the locker--lots of stuff! I pulled out bags of clothes (another closet full) and hopefully most of my art pieces. They are in the truck; I'll haul them up tomorrow and begin the three-pile process (keep, donate, dump) on the clothes. It took all of my energy to remove the stuff from the locker and haul it down to my truck. It was still somewhat warm and the exercise up/down the stairs was about all I could do. I was sweating like a fountain once I had the stuff in the truck.

There is still quite a lot of stuff in the locker--boxes of ??, old computer stuff, remnants of my CW history (CDs, hats, boots, and more), shoji screens, etc. There's over 10 years (maybe 20) of accumulation--some stuff older than that! How did I manage to accumulate so much stuff, and why have I been keeping it around?

Anyway, no class tomorrow so can continue the three-pile sort going. Signing off while the old DSL is working.

3336

Got up early this morning-8 o'clock!! Had a light breakfast and began sorting through the bedroom closet. Made three piles of clothing (scraps, donations, keepers). Went at it for several hours and cleared that closet by around noon. Loaded up the donations and the laundry and headed out in the beginning heat of the day (it was moderate to comfortable in the morning hours). Did the laundry and then stopped by TJ's on the way home, and dropped off the giant bag of donations in one of the drop boxes that now are found everywhere. Came back home around 2pm, dropped of the laundry, took my medication, napped sitting up for a short spell, and then went back to grab a couple of slices of pizza (I hadn't eaten since breakfast). I stopped on the way back at SB's for a green tea frappuccino, which helped bump up my energy level.

I watched a film this afternoon--Harry Brown. It's a thriller, set in England, about an elderly ex-serviceman who takes on getting revenge for the killing of a friend. Harry is played by Michael Caine. It turns out, you don't want to mess with Harry--not if you want to live to tell about it. Harry's vigilante justice triggers a sweep by the police of the neighborhood where all manner of crimes take place, and ends up cleaning out the bad guys. Harry skates on by, under the radar, with the help of a couple of the police that are aware of what he has done, but choose to deal with the larger issues in that neighborhood.

Well, I'm pleased with today's activities. Still lots to be done. Will check the storage locker tomorrow and assess what will done with all that stuff. Will arise early tomorrow and attack another area in the apartment, before heading to the storage place. The good news is that sorting things out today, and hauling the donations to the dump site, had me doing more movement/bending/hefting than I would normally do on the weekend. So all is well and at the sound of the bell night will have fell (or is it fallen?), Oh what the hell!

3337

Last resistance class today for two weeks! Will miss doing three workouts, returning to schedule on Friday of the 2nd week. (As if I couldn't use the downtime to move ahead with moving!) As noted yesterday, will also have no PD dance next Tuesday and no C&M next Monday--which gives me four full days next week to move things along. Time marches on! (Or stumbles along perhaps!)

Felt good in class today (and all day)--blame it on the acupressure/TuiNa session yesterday. As usual, the treatment leaves me feeling great, integrated, energized and more. Will miss getting such sessions after the move. There are so few people who have been trained like LM and can do what he does. Weather also contributed--it has been ideal weather for the past few days--not too hot and not too cool (just right)!

Laundry day tomorrow and the living is easy. Plan to arise early, work on sorting stuff for a while, and then migrate to the Laundromat a bit later than I would normally head that way. Hopefully, this will let me skip doing a nap and erasing the whole afternoon. Discipline! Discipline and focus! For a change!

I plan to visit my storage locker this weekend and grab some items I know I want to move. As for the bulk of all that detritus, I will have to see what unfolds as I canvas what's in the locker. At this stage, I've lost track of what's there and what's of importance--if anything!

I spent some time this morning checking if I could update my accounts and such online. Looks to be possible for the bulk of things. Doing so can be done along the way and doesn't seem to involve having to deal with a person unless needed--computers uber alles!

3338

Movement class was well attended today. I felt pretty good after the class and went to Thai place for some food. Had a delicious Cashew Nut stir fry with chicken. That dish is still one of the most flavorful meal I've ever had--truly tasty! Came home and lay down for a nap--2 hours later I pulled myself up and went to acupressure session. After napping and scurrying to get to acupressure appointment, I felt sort of wobbly. Acupressure session took care of that issue--I came away feeling like I had been balanced and energized. If only I could get a session every day instead of napping--I think that would be the answer.

Watched an older German film this evening--Young Torless. It's a b/w film set in the early 1900s that depicts a young student who is attending a remote military school. The film is based on a novel that was written around the turn of the century, but edited quite a bit regarding its homosexual bent and to make it fit into the times when it was released as a film (late 1960s). The dialog in the film is somewhat pedantic. The action is focused on the cruelty that isolated young men can inflict upon one another, especially if there are those who are considered to be weaker. Woven throughout the narrative are ruminations by Torless regarding good and evil, guilt and attraction, and many other points of duality along with a heavy dose of violence and control of a person's spirit.

Resistance training tomorrow--last session for the next two weeks--instructor is on vacation. Wish I were! Long weekend coming up--no classes next Monday/Tuesday--so four days until the next class (G&B). Will use the time to kick start my moving adventure!

3339

G&B class today! I was a bit late despite my arising earlier than usual. To sleep, perhaps to dream!

Dreamed a vivid dream last night. For some reason, I can't right now recall the details. It was just a clear dreaming--very visual and seemingly quite real.

When I came home from class (and reading to GH), I fell asleep for several hours. When I arose later in the afternoon (mainly because the temperature was in the warm zone), I felt clearer and less muzzy than I had felt in the morning, in class, and at the H's.

I watched a movie--About Schmidt. It's labeled as a comedy. There are occasionally humorous moments throughout the film, but it's not like a belly-laughing extravaganza. There's more of a sitcom flavor to the whole thing even though the main character is played by Jack Nicholson. He does a good job of bringing Schmidt to life (well almost to life). It was an OK film, but nothing monumental. There was a lot of cuteness in all of the characters that was difficult to get through to encounter any comedy or such.

Movement class tomorrow! Clock is starting to wind up (or down) on things. I have to start moving on the move.

3340

PD dance class today felt good--it's nice to move to music. Resistance training class also went well--light turnout but I felt strong. We'll not do that class for two weeks later this month--I'll have to try and visualize doing the class even if I don't use the same set of weights. No classes next Monday/Tuesday--will make for a long weekend that I hopefully can use to start shrinking my checklist.

I can't seem to do much more than get to class and back. The temperatures are still drifting up into the high 80s or low 90s--too hot to trot!

Watched a chaos theory mystery film this evening--The Butterfly Effect. It's based on the idea that a perturbation anywhere in the universe, such as the flutter of a butterfly's wing, can create a disturbance elsewhere of much larger proportions, like a hurricane. In the film, a boy starts to have memory lapses where he doesn't recall where he suddenly appears. As he gets older, he discovers that he can trigger the replay of certain events with only one catch--his replaying the event allows him to alter the outcomes. As he learns more, he tries to go back and redo certain life events that did not turn out well. Of course, his interventions only create other pasts/futures that do not turn out well either.  I only viewed the Director's Cut, which I suspect was cut so that the action was more jumbled than the Theatrical Cut version. Being a SciFi fan, I enjoyed the film and will probably view the Theatrical Cut to see what it was like.

G&B class tomorrow! New class times! Early class starts, of course, earlier. I need to be up and out by 9:15am--that means I need to roll out of bed no later than 8:30am! Let the good clocks chime--every time, every time!

3341

Monday, Monday! I went back to bed this morning after showering and I only planned to sneak a short snooze before dressing and heading for class. My short snooze ended up being a longer one and I was late to class. But, I did get there! Exercise felt good although I was a little muzzy from the nap. I really didn't get out of the fog until I had a SB green tea Frappuccino.

Watched a movie this evening--Ghost Writer. It's a political thriller about a man who gets hired to help a well known person write his memoirs. The ghost writer, in the process of helping edit/rewrite the first draft, discovers some secrets that many people want left unrevealed. The film was directed by Polanski and is well acted and plotted. There are many familiar faces in the cast. There is intrigue, political plots, clandestine activities, killings, lots of technology, threatening acts, some sex, no real love stories, and more. It actually would be worth while to view again--to pick up on all of the subtle clues that are sprinkled throughout.

PD dance tomorrow and resistance training. Days are going by so quickly. My checklist continues to grow and has not yet begun to shrink. But it will--it must! The die is cast! The clocks are moving and the days are now beginning to shorten. Onward we go!

3342

A miracle plane crash at SFO! A miracle that so few died! Sad that the two young girls didn't make it out of the dozens of people who did survive.

I woke up really early today. I got up and started making a checklist for the upcoming move. It helped me clear some of the fog around what I need to get done over the next two months. I went back to sleep after making progress on the checklist. I popped out around noon for a bite to eat (SpiceKit Rice Bowl with spicy grilled chicken). It was tasty! Went to the library and picked up some DVDs. Listened to Says You on NPR.

Watched a crime thriller (or melodrama as the director labels it)--Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. I'd seen the film before but didn't recall the last half of the story. Probably I had difficulty building a memory of what happened since the whole thing was done as a series of flashbacks--not exactly like a total reversal as in Memento, but close. Good cast drove the action and the melodrama. The men had the larger roles with the women more like rough sketches. The ending left it up in the air about what was the final-final resolution, but there is an obvious possible outcome that an audience can jump onto.

C&M class tomorrow begins a busy week. There is a full roster of classes, an acupressure session, and my still expanding checklist. Weather promises to not be too warm--I hope so! Plan to get up early each day and work on move while it's cooler than it gets later in the day.

3343

Slept the day away! Enjoyed the cooler morning period by sleeping in today. Finally awoke and went out for a while, grabbed a sandwich, and came back and went back to sleep. Awoke this time with the air sultry and warm. Walked to SB's and had a green tea frappuccino--tasty and cooling.

Watched a somewhat dull French film--Human Resources. It is a story of a small factory town where nearly everyone works in the local metalworks. The son of a worker comes home from college to take a summer intern position with the HR group at the factory. Everything is obvious from that point forward--labor versus management--with the son trying to walk the thin line between the two. He discovers that management is planning a layoff that will include his father. For reasons that are not all that clear, the son joins the union (metaphorically) in the ensuing battle.

The long holiday weekend made it feel like there has been a time warp. Tonight feels like it's Sunday but it's only Saturday. Tomorrow feels like it should be Monday and it will only be Sunday still.

And so things drift and sway! Making room for another day! What is coming I cannot say! Will it find another way? Or will the way become the weigh? Will the music begin to play? Will I bargain or will I pay?

3344

Cooled down some today! Hopefully, will stay cooler as well over the coming days. I got up early and did some researching on the Fair Oaks region--looking for what was there and what was not. Let your fingers do the surfing into a new domain!

Went to resistance training session today. It was well attended given that this is a holiday weekend. I felt fairly strong during the session, but was a bit beat down as we ended--I let a Starbucks green tea frappuccino fill the gap. I'm getting addicted to that wonderful stuff!

Watched a German film this evening--Antibodies. The title is a bit off center from the material in the film. The film is about good/evil and serial killers. It's a study of a clever serial killer who even when captured manages to lead the police on a merry-go-round--especially a rural policeman who lives in the area where the killer took a victim. The killer creates and manages what everyone sees and believes, and gets into everyone's head regarding issues of good/evil and the thin line that keeps a person on one side or the other. It's a well acted film with a clever script and a cascade of events that propel the action.

Plan to start sorting through the closets tomorrow (Saturday) and continue on Sunday. Let the fun begin!

3345

July 4th and the heat still lingers! Final fireworks are being crescendoed in the evening skies. Hopefully it will cool down, as promised, tomorrow.

Had dreams last night that were takeoffs of scenes in the movie I watched (Shame). The scenes in the film triggered similar dream scenes. The only difference was that the other people in my dream scenes were people that I've known. Made for a strange and eerie dreaming!

Watched a film this evening (as the fireworks flew and faded)--Matewan. The film is about a small mining town in the 1920's that became a battleground between coal miners, coal companies, and parasitical side factions. The material in the film is based on an actual set of events that ended in what is recorded as the "Matewan Massacre". The content of the film was interesting and made a good story and film script. The film, however, was a bit slow and drawn out--it was turgid and in some cases muddled. The film attempts to weave more than a few issues (worker abuse, corporate greed, violence against union organizations, vigilante justice, and several other items) into a whole. The attempt fails and results in a lengthy, slow-moving film.

Tomorrow there is a resistance class and hopefully some cooler weather. Let it be so! Let it be!

3346

G&B class today was earlier and more challenging. Of course, no one looked at the schedule. People started dribbling in from 9:45am until 10:30am, except for the few who discovered that the 2nd class started at 11:30am. But, as noted, the opening class was definitely more challenging. Good workout!

Rest of the day was hot, again. The promise is that it will continue to be so through tomorrow.

At the H's this afternoon we threw the I Ching with me asking the question "Should I move to Fair Oaks?". The response was the hexagram 19 (promotion, approach, start of spring). Overall the reading was positive and indicated good fortune would be a result. Now, if it will only get cooler so I can begin to pack and purge.

Watched an awful film this evening--Shame. It's about an externally successful man who is a sexual addict. The film, some say, is more about the addiction and its various problems than it is a sex film. Rough and tough call! I felt that it was over the top with the sex scenes and low on the solutions side of things. To confound the whole thing, the man's sister shows up unexpectedly. Her presence and history triggers his memories of their abuse when younger, which triggers her self-destructive issues--and so it goes! Lots of triggers but few silver bullets. In the end, the man is shown doing his same old thing (seducing a woman). The sister? She might not have survived her most recent attempt at immolation--it's left unclear.

It's the 4th of July tomorrow! No classes! More heat! Perhaps can begin to pack and purge! Didn't win the Mega Million or Power Ball lotteries--but no one else did--so on they roll!

3347

The heat goes down! The heat goes down! But it's still plenty hot! Did a resistance session today! There were several regulars missing--no doubt celebrating the holiday that's coming. It felt good to do the exercise even though I was feeling somewhat dissociated today. Keep hoping for a break in the heat so I can begin to sort and dump things I don't need to carry with me in August. Right now the heat is my excuse for not doing anything--I have to collapse under the coolness of the fan and can't seem to do more than that. I'm OK when I go out since I can crank up the AC in the truck, and the various places are churning out the AC as well. It's just the sauna-like apartment that's so unbearable and enervating.

G&B class tomorrow--starting earlier than normal and promising to be more challenging. I need to be up and out by 9:15am--class starts at 9:45am. Onward we go! The month of July wants to fly right on by! And it will do so!

Neighbor noises starting to percolate through the late evening hours. Heavy footsteps on the stairs. The mix of voices and accents spill around the concrete caverns. Each person making his or her own brand of clatter, chatter, and what's the matter! No end to wind when the clouds grow still. Time to dream!

3348

The heat's still here! Cooled a tiny bit but still warm and warmer! I don't recall the weather ever being so muggy here--it's been more like the way it gets back east. After going to C&M class this morning and heading to the H's for some reading aloud, came home and went under the fan. July 1 it is!

Tomorrow there is no PD dance class--just a resistance class in the early afternoon--and, yes, more heat! When I popped out to get some groceries, I indulged in a frappuccino (green tea). Tasted so good and took the edge off of the warmth and heat.

Did a bit of research for places where I can donate my excess items. Will not need much of anything but some clothes--all else can hopefully help others in some way.

Didn't do any napping today so am feeling logy now. Only, it's still quite warm though! Will sit under the fan for a while and dream the heat away!