Welcome to the daily life of a frugal and persnickety woman in her 80s: Every day my
grandmother wrote down when she woke, what she had for breakfast, any
movie she went to see, any mail and calls she received, then what she
read and watched on TV before bed.
That was cool. Because I love reading her journals!
In 1998, she turned 83 while living alone in a mobile home park in Santa Cruz, Calif, though I never perceived her as lonely. She was extremely independent, and I never knew her to live with another person or even a pet after she raised my mother on her own in 1950s Los Angeles. (I wrote more about her life in this post)
January of 1999 started badly for grandma: Days of gas pain that kept her from sleeping, then eye surgery and cold, rainy days that kept her from walking to nearby Pleasure
Point, a popular surfing spot, to see if anyone was on the waves. But she had plenty of football and news to keep up on, including the Senate considering the impeachment of President Clinton.
Friday, Jan. 1, 1999
Late to sleep. Awake 6. heat, then 8 and 9.
Usual breakfast, ready by 10.
Bank for balance, looked around mall.
To Pacific Avenue, police woman stopped me. looking for Alzheimer woman.
To cemetery. Not open.
To show, “Down in the Delta.” Good. Warm people.
Ate here. News.
Saturday, Jan. 2, 1999
Awake 7. Finished crossword, read papers.
Football: Miami - Buffalo game. Exciting.
To Longs, got soup, etc. KFC for lunch.
To show, “Waking Ned Devine.” Irish, lottery winner.
Home 4 p.m. Washed car. Ate.
Mail: Letter from Mina, federal taxes.
Started on taxes, can’t find capital gains.
Bed 9:30, woke 11. No more sleep. Throat hurts!
Sunday, Jan. 3, 1999
No sleep by 8 a.m. Bed all day. Cold coming on!
49ers won, 30-27, Green Bay. Exciting game, close all the way.
Seifert may be coach at Carolina.
Rested.
Watched “Sabrina” The girl had no personality.
Monday, Jan. 4, 1999
Took Sudafed. Slept OK. Up 2x, then 8:15.
Usual breakfast, out to get paper at 11.
Got McDonald’s chicken san, special 89 cents.
Got gas at Kmart, $1.099.
Home, news, rested. Papers.
TV: Lehrer, Geraldo. He is off, Marcia & Huffington.
A bit of Morse, saw that one recently.
Night miserable, no sleep til 1:30. Had gas pain.
Tuesday, Jan. 5, 1999
Up 9, usual breakfast.
Took Pertussin. Now headache.
To Longs, got soup, tissue, more cough syrup.
Albertsons, got milk, honey.
Called dentist for anesthetic that made my heart race: Epinephrine.
Myra called, may bring soup. Took it immediately.
TV from 2 to 4, then bed. Another miserable time!
Seem to have gas pain. Got relief sitting up.
No sleep until 1:30 a.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 6, 1999
Awake 8, feel much better. On the mend.
Usual breakfast. Chores, packed vitamins.
Ready 10:30, to bank for balance. OK. H cashed check.
To Drug Emporium for paper, BP, OK.
To cemetery, put flowers on Marge’s casket-crypt.
Talked to Myra, more persimmons.
TV: News, some Geraldo. Bed 9:30 but no sleep.
Read, crossword, etc, til 1 a.m.
Thursday, Jan. 7, 1999
Sleep from 1 to 7. Cold.
Breakfast at Lyon's.
To library, got Fone # for museums union. Only one listed.
Mail: letter from Mina.
Home 1 p.m. Ate, read papers.
TV: Murder She Wrote, Jim Lehrer, no Geraldo.
New Law & Order, bio of Ava Gardner.
Friday, Jan. 8, 1999
Up 8 a.m. Chores. Very cold.
Wrote Justine and Prudy. Sent her article on Co-enzyme Q10.
To post office, then McDonald’s. Got chicken san.
Home 11:30. Hearing called, got earpiece.
Rested a bit. After news, read.
TV: 2, Murder She Wrote, 3, Lehrer.
Sorted basket of mail.
Mail: Letters from Carla, Mina. Carla ordered CO Q10 from P.P.
Bed early but no sleep til 1.
Saturday, Jan. 9, 1999
Up 6, heat. Breakfast at 7.
Football: Falcons 20, 49ers 18. Hearst out, leg broken. Rice made TD.
To store for bananas.
Broncos 31, Miami3!
Worked on income tax.
Bed early, took Valerian.
Sunday, Jan. 10, 1999
Usual breakfast, 9:30.
AFC: Jets vs. Jaguars. Afternoon, Vikings vs. Cardinals.
Stayed in, tried to stay warm. Sewed black hat and turban.
Took shower, washed hair.
TV: Siskel & Ebert, 60 Minutes, X-Files (dumb).
Monday, Jan. 11, 1999
Myra called 8:55. Larry vomited in church yesterday, to ER. She got appt with heart doctor.
To Trader Joe’s for food, McWhorters for Xerox.
To Miracle Ear, got aid. Not bad.
Home, lunch. Larry here 12:45, left here 1:30 for appt. Too early, waited 1/2 hour.
Myra called later, we met. She gave me 50 cents, returned the list of medicines.
TV: News, Geraldo.
Bed early.
Tuesday, Jan. 12, 1999
Slept 2-8. Usual breakfast.
Called Myra to tell her about visit to doctors.
To Drug Emporium, got TV Guide, Lysol.
To Trader Joe’s, got corn, mandarin orange.
To Kmart, ate salad. Got new dishes for microwave, storage.
TV: Some Murder She Wrote, Lehrer.
Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1999
Up 8, usual breakfast. Changed sheets, flipped mattress.
Waited all day for doctor to call.
Ate here, read paper, watched Jim Lehrer.
Doctor finally called 8:30ish. No food, drink prior to surgery. Will get after.
OK to take anti-histamine.
Michael Jordan retired. His wife Juanita with him on stand. She lovely; he proud of her.
Larry has “white” cane.
Thursday, Jan. 14, 1999
Eye Surgery, Dr. Blackwell. 9:30 a.m.
Call Carol, get applesauce.
Arrived 9:15, four operations scheduled.
Waited til 10, variouos procedures til 10:30. To operation 11 a.m.
Out at 12:20. Had tea, bran muffin.
Called Carole 12:30, she arrived 1 p.m.
Home, ate. TV all day!
Myra gave me muffins she got from Larry? He “lost” teeth.
Mina called, talked a bit. Coughed some, hurt?
TV: Koppel. Slept good.
Friday, Jan. 15, 1999
Returned to doctor 11:15 for removal of patch. Misplaced keys?
Up 6:45, usual breakfast.
Carole picked me up 9:45, to hospital. Checked with surgery, no keys.
To Erik’s for coffee, banana nut bread.
To doctor’s, test OK. Eye feels something in it.
To Longs for prescription.
Home, eye scratchy.
Carole called. Car in for days.
Saturday, Jan. 16, 1999
Up 9. Usual breakfast. Scratches subsiding, eye watering. No temp.
Justine called 12:30 p.m. She went to Phoenix over New year’s. H is working for Trader Joe’s.
Justine is moving to Benicia, needs $1,000 for deposit. Will send me note acknowledging debt.
To KFC for lunch. Read papers.
Rain in night again.
TV: Old Morse, Law & Order.
Sunday, Jan. 17, 1999
Awake 8, usual breakfast. Washed lingerie, packed 12 days vitamins.
Chores, read anyway. Upset game, Broncos over Jets, 23-10. Turnovers cost Jets.
Tyson KO’d Botha in 5th round in Las Vegas!
TV: Siskel & Ebert, worst films of 1998: Godzilla, My Giant, Jack Frost, Phantoms, Deep Rising, Lost In Space, Ringmaster (Jerry Springer), Spice World, Waterboy, Baseketball, Very Bad Things, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Odd Couple II, Lethal Weapon 4, Patch Adams, Armageddon.
Monday, Jan. 18, 1999
Bank closed. MLK.
Myra called, water to be shut off 9 a.m. (Wasn’t).
Up 7:30. Breakfast usual. Showered, hair.
Rose called re water. Talks too much.
Some TV, 11:30 news.
To Longs, got video: “Zero Effect.” Good.
Rain most of the day.
Put out Larry’s garbage, took it in also.
Bed after 10. Koppel off.
Tuesday, Jan. 19, 1999
Up 8:30! Lawyer on for Clinton.
Left for bank 11 a.m., put $1,000 in Justine's acct.
To Longs, returned video.
McDonald's for chicken san.
TV: Murder She Wrote, Lehrer, State of the Union. 1 1/2 hour, 96 applause.
Slept, not too good.
Wednesday, Jan. 20, 1999
Dr. Blackwell, 11:15 a.m.
Breakfast usual. 8:30.
Called Miracle Ear for appt. Monday, 10 a.m.
Checked locksmith, one on Portola.
To Kmart, soup and grilled cheese.
Raining off and on.
Home 1:34 p.m. Some TV, papers, Lehrer.
Blackwell gave me new medicine, pressure in eye back.
News at 11, Koppel. Slept good.
Thursday, Jan. 21, 1999
Usual breakfast. Kendall to speak & friend from Arkansas, Dale Bumper.
Walked on East Cliff.
To Kmart, new watch band, lunch.
Drug Emporium, TV Guide.
To bank for cash.
To show, “In Dreams.” Annette Bening, Aidan Quinn, Robert Downey Jr.
Home, usual news. Koppel, sleep.
Friday, Jan. 22, 1999
Up 8ish.
To Carole's. Keys on floor. [See Jan. 15 entry]
Talked long. Home, slept a bit.
Sen. Byrd announced he would offer motion to dismiss. Caused sensation.
The Republicans got Ken Starr to order Lewinsky to appear for deposition.
Dems very upset, call it interference.
Skating: Saw Michelle Kwan, Bobeck.
Saturday, Jan. 23, 1999
Awake 8. Senate on. Breakfast usual.
During recess got paper. Got key made for gas cap.
Home, more senate procedures. Much talk about "process."
Myra called, talked about process.
Called Mina, talked long.
TV: Watched second part of skating competition, news. Monica Lewinsky ordered back.
Sunday, Jan. 24, 1999
Awake 6:30. COLD. Bed til 7. Heat.
Medicine congealed. Called Myra to tell her.
To Longs for Xerox.
To Blockbuster, got “Sliding Doors.” Not great.
TV: Siskel & Ebert, CNN, X-Files.
Monday, Jan. 25, 1999
Awake 7. Usual breakfast.
Appt. 10 Miracle Ear, bring Xerox.
Carole called by mistake. Told her to apologize to Robin.
To Miracle Ear. Gave man copies of Consumer Reports of 1992.
To library, got 2 books. Returned Blockbuster video.
To Longs, got baby oil and baby aspirin, soup.
Home, tried resting. Cold.
Quake in Colombia.
Shower/hair.
Read late.
Tuesday, Jan. 26, 1999
Awake 7, breakfast 8. Usual.
TV 10, trial about 11.
Dr. Blackwell’s office called, changed appt to Thursday. Looked for notes, must have destroyed.
To Drug Emporium for paper, toothpaste, biscuits.
TV: Geraldo, news: Republicans want to call witnesses; Morse, Law & Order.
Bed 9. Read, crossword.
Wednesday, Jan. 27, 1999
Laundromat 8:30.
10:30, ate Burger King.
Senate votes to have witnesses, 54R, 44 D; 8 more votes to acquit president.
Wrote Purdy.
To Longs for "artificial tears," blurring bad.
TV: Late news, Koppel.
Thursday, Jan. 28, 1999
To laundromat, only 4 women. No TV on!
Yesterday a "homeless" person watching the Pope's visit.
Home, then to Ocean Street for donut/coffee.
To library to read Jan. 25th NY Times, no mention of item Geraldo spoke of. Got another Stevenson book.
Home, Myra gave me split pea soup.
To doctor's, pressure in eyeball up more. Two more medicines, back tomorrow.
Bed early. Up 3, then 7.
Friday, Jan. 29, 1999
Cold. Heat 7:15 til 7:45.
Washed good, ready by 10.
Walked cliff. Mailed letter to Prudy.
To Kmart, got Dinty Moore: 2 chicken, 1 pasta.
To doctor's, pressure down.
TV: Murder She Wrote, Jim Lehrer.
Busy with drops.
Mail: More tax forms, New Yorker.
TV: Bit of Geraldo, tennis. Hingis won.
Saturday, Jan. 30, 1999
Up 7:30. Started drops.
Usual breakfast, chores.
Walked on cliff.
To Long, Albertsons, McDonald's: Got McChicken, apple pie.
Myra left magazines to go to Grey Bears, Larry out walking.
TV: Some tennis, some golf; "Suspicion" with Cary Grant.; X-Files.
Sunday, Jan. 31, 1999
Rain 11 - 2 a.m. Again 3.
Up 8:30. Usual breakfast.
Walked on cliff, heavy surf. High tide, watched man trying to get up stairs near rocks.
Home, read. Super Bowl at 3:15. Hoopla.
Choir was singing good, Broncos over Atlanta, 34-13.
Justine called regarding game.
TV: News, Siskel & Ebert.
John Mark called to say that Billy Green died.
