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| High School Graduation, 1933 |
In 1997, my grandmother turned 82 while living alone in a mobile home park in Santa
Cruz, Calif. But I wouldn't describe her as lonely; she was an
extremely independent and persnickety woman whom I never knew to live
with another person or even a pet. (I wrote more about her life in an
earlier post.)
In April of 1997, she was watching golf, checking the night sky for the Hale-Bopp comet, and preparing for yet another spring trip to Paris at age 81!
That was cool.
Tuesday, April 1, 1997
Up 8:30. Watered lawn.
To mall, looked for blue pants to match coat. None. Take shorts!
Drug Emporium, got TV Guide, Kleenex, Light Days.
Penney's, sale. Nothing for me.
TV: Frasier.
Bed, crossword.
Wednesday, April 2, 1997
Up 8. Watered flowers.
Wind up again.
To Vibol’s. Shouted at man with beard. Large man, belongs to astronomer’s club.
To show, “Devil's Own.” Fair, long. Noticed my car had ding!
To McDonald’s, got chicken sandwich.
(Power out: Loud explosion, all lights out about 15 mins.)
Thursday, April 3, 1997
Breakfast Kmart.
Got ginko, multi-vitamins.
To Gottschalk’s. Diarrhea. Bad.
Home, rested. Bad water.
Ate cereal, bananas.
To Gott’s, got blue pants, pearls.
Home, ate cottage cheese and pineapple.
Cancelled dinner at Live Oak.
Friday, April 4, 1997
Bed 1:45 a.m. Watched Lullaby of Broadway.
To Sears for vacuum repairs. No batteries available now.
Home. “In Name Only.” Cary Grant, Carole Lombard.
Longs, got envelopes.
Wendy’s, got chicken sandwich.
To show, “That Old Feeling.” Bette Midler. Enjoyable.
TV: JAG, Poirot.
Mail: Letter from Stinson, Yvonne.
Saturday, April 5, 1997
Showered/hair.
Cleaned a bit, cobwebs near windows.
Justine called 3:30. Too late to come by. Got a plaque.
[She’s referring to a state journalism award I received for this column I wrote for my college newspaper. I did not know at the time that she mailed copies of it to all her friends!]
To mall. Got sweatshirt for Justine, wrote her letter.
Saw Siskel & Ebert. Only “Chasing Amy” is good.
Talked to Elsie. She has operation Tuesday.
Monday, April 7, 1997
No sleep til 2:30.
Up 7, talked. Post Office, bank, donuts.
Got stamps.
To show, “English Patient.”
To Blockbuster, got “Fargo.”
No comet.
Tuesday, April 8, 1997
Ellie has operation.
Market: Got cereal, Mocha Mix, bananas, soup.
Watched Fargo between 11-1:30.
Drove to Blockbuster, returned tape.
Saw comet. Mina saw.
Thursday, April 10, 1997
Breakfast, cereal.
Radio, balanced books.
Mina called 10:30. Called Justine. Machine on, left message.
News noon. Changed personnel on Ch 5!
Golf. Woods had 40 on first 9, then 30 on 2nd.
Shower, washed hair.
Longs, got bath tissue. Looked at watches, no.
To Kmart, BP, trail mix, sunblock, aspirin.
Comet out.
Friday, April 11, 1997
Used heating pad.
Had tea, toast, prunes.
To laundromat, Vibol’s. Walked on cliff.
Noon news, worked in yard.
Read papers, washed clothes here.
Golf, Tiger Woods ahead of all. Rich Faldo did not make cut.
David Anderson escaped Vacaville prison.
Saw part of M. Butterfly.
Bed, studied French.
Saturday, April 12, 1997
Awake 6, up 8. Watered lawn, weeded.
To Long's, envelope for Vibol’s book. Mailed it to Mina.
Got Santa Cruz t-shirt for Justine.
Tennis: Mary Pierce came from behind to win.
Golf: Tiger Woods “gave the older man a lesson.” Ended -15, 9 above closest.
French til 9:30.
Saw comet. (She wrote H-B: Hale-Bopp).
Sunday, April 13, 1997
Put “Swimmer’s Ear” in right ear. Heating pad, too.
Walked on cliff. Foggy. Dog out with breakers.
Golf: Tiger Woods won Masters. (Total, 18).
Wendy’s chicken sandwich.
Home, some yard work.
TV: Sports, various.
Bed 11. News, P&P.
Changed watch to pink.
Monday, April 14, 1997
To OSH, got systemic bug killer.
To Vibol’s. Home, wrote Mina.
Put bug killer on roses.
Watched news, arranged some clothes.
To show, “Grosse Point Blank.” Funny.
Home 5 p.m. Got items ready to wash tomorrow.
Some French.
TV: “Mysteries of Deep Space.”
Tuesday, April 15, 1997
Laundromat, washed rugs and sheets from front room.
Had cereal & banana.
To Vibol’s. Anna has many overdrafts!!
Ate liver. To Live Oak, got BP.
Read papers, more work on packing.
Wednesday, April 16, 1997
Up 8ish. Watered lawn.
Library, read on Hale-Bopp.
Ate breakfast at Kmart, new clerk. Got TV Guide, antacid, fruit mix and more cough drops.
Worked on clothes. Tried on, mended some.
Justine called 12:30. Got package mailed Monday.
Thursday, April 17, 1997
Awake 6, back to sleep til 9. Slow.
Checked money.
Walked on cliff.
To Vibol’s. He upset with BBC report on Cambodia.
To Drug Emporium, BP and brewer’s yeast.
Bed late. finished tape of The Last Starfighter.
Overcast, no comet. (H-B)
Friday, April 18, 1997
Fone call 9, “West Coast Construction.”
Walked on cliff.
To Vibol’s. Monique wanted to talk. Lee there.
To mall, paid Sears, Mervyn’s.
To Longs, got small flashlight, antacids.
Worked on packing.
Watched news, read papers. Rain.
Saturday, April 19, 1997
Dug up plant, put aloe in spot.
Walked on cliff.
Car wouldn’t start, Check battery!
To show, “Chasing Amy.”
Walked to library, looked at herbs. Lee said cayenne pepper good for BP.
TV: News, Multiple Births.
Cloudy, no comet.
Sunday, April 20, 1997
Up 8, walked East Cliff.
To Vibol’s. Home, typed envelopes, etc.
To Kmart for BP, trail mix.
Mended socks and bra.
TV: “Laura,” 60 Mins, Nature, Rebecca.
Overcast, no Hale-Bopp. Saw at 10:45 p.m.
Checked smoke alarm, OK.
Monday, April 21, 1997
Fertilized roses, etc.
To Vibol’s. Clayton there.
Feel off?
To show, “Murder at 1600.” Enjoyed. Alan Alda bad man!
Home, read papers. Ate rice!
Slept 1 hour. Cloudy, rain. No comet.
Some French, nothing on packing.
Tuesday, April 22, 1997
Awoke 2, awake til 4, slept til 8. Up 9. Used heater.
Checked germicide at Kmart, got two more sox.
To TCL, got two channel guides.
To Lucky, got 2 sirloin (?)
Wrote checks, notes to girls.
TV: Siamese Twins, girls from Thailand orphanage, three legs, shared middle. Separated in Philadelphia pro bono, adopted by geneticist's wife. Operation a success.
Wednesday, April 23, 1997
Walked on cliff.
Paid Gottschalk’s.
Worked on packing.
Got germicide for water, bungee cord.
To OSH for Black Flag, sprayed on termites in shed.
Baseball: STL v. Dodgers, 2-1.
Thursday, April 24, 1997
Watered lawn, used Black Flag, snail bait.
Breakfast McDonald’s. Deposit for Justine.
Wrote Mina and Justine, card to Prudy and Carla.
Worked on packing. Too much!
TV: “The Man who Loved Cat Dancing,” Oprah with Tiger Woods and father.
Friday, April 25, 1997
Mailed letter, cards.
To Vibol’s, saw Oscar and Lois.
Worked in yard. Packed.
Cleaned sofa, spotted rug.
Talked to Larry, gave him key.
To corner, got donut.
To Kmart, got gas.
Ran opera. Bed, read a bit.
Saturday, April 26, 1997
Up 8. To Greyhound. Will not let me put bag in office until Monday. He on duty both times.
To Vibol’s, busy. Talked to Lee.
Washed car, watered west side.
Put systemic fertilizer on roses, vacuumed.
Japanese lady to hospital via ambulance.
To Kmart, got film 1-36, 1-24, candy! ice cream!
Bed early, but did crossword.
Mina called.
Sunday, April 27, 1997
Walked cliff.
To OSH, got stoppers. No work, used buckets.
To corner, gave $2 to Lee for card.
Put suitcase in locker at Greyhound.
Monday, April 28, 1997
United Flight 960 to Paris from SFO: Seat 27F
Up 5 a.m. Bus 6:40. Ate at cafe, bear claw.
Highway 17 slow, construction.
Airport, got francs.
Seatmate from WWII, fighter pilot. Trained in Alabama, North Carolina. He in Las Vegas for 50-year convention.
Nine-hour flight, much turbulence. No sleep.
Great landing.
Tuesday, April 29, 1997 - Paris
Took taxi van with family, older woman: from Salinas, young man, grad from UCSC.
Hotel, Room #2. New couch, chair. Change tomorrow. #3?
Walked around. Got tuna sandwich. Tea next-door.
Wednesday, April 30, 1997 - Paris
Check Eiffel Tower.
Little sleep. Balanced checkbook.
Called Sy, Yvonne. Meet Friday.
To tour bus, nice day.
Rested, re-packed.
Walked.
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