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| Grandma with my cat Maggio, who lived 20 years. |
In 1996, she was 80-years-old and 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.)
Close to her home was the famous surfing spot called Pleasure Point, and she loved walking to the ocean and watching the surfers. When she died at 97 in 2013, I took her ashes to those waves with a friend of hers and we each dropped some at the sand. A moment after I dropped mine, a surfer emerged from the water where I stood.
That was cool.
August of 1996 was not too exciting for grandma, though there was the Olympics and the U.S. Open to watch, plus a lot of lawn watering and fertilizing for her to do,She was also having trouble sleeping, and began trying Melatonin as a remedy.
Thursday, Aug. 1, 1996
Up 9ish. To McDonald's.
Put car in for oil. Home 11 a.m.
Mail: Garbage bill, letter from Justine. Paid garbage bill.
Washed hair, took basin bath.
Got car at 3:30 p.m., news.
Thought I lost data on car, walked back. It was here on couch.
Called Mina, she is better. Drinking water and walking, taking vitamins.
TV: Some Olympics.
Friday, Aug. 2, 1996
Up 8:45. Watered lawn. Donut & coffee at corner.
To courthouse, no maps of Capitola.
To library, man at reference desk copied map.
To show, "Pinocchio." (Not even, bad editing?)
News, Olympics. Bob Costas very good, low-key but humorous.
Synchronized swimmers, USA won gold.
Some Atlanta vs. Dodgers, 3-2. Atlanta pitcher hurt.
Saturday, Aug. 3, 1996
Up 8:30. Watered all lawns.
To corner, all Mercury News gone. Yesterday also!
Trader Joe's, got bananas and cereal.
Home, filing, Olympics. Tennis delayed by rain!
Agassi did very well.
Bed after news, no sleep. Up for P&P on PBS at 12 a.m.
Sunday, Aug. 4, 1996
Slept 3 to 7. Up almost 10.
To corner, talked to owner re French wife who wants him to work.
Home 12. Washed some clothes.
Dodgers lost 4-6 to Atlanta.
Working on knitting, 4 errors, to unravel.
TV: Murder She Wrote, news: Cockpit found, pilot still strapped in seat!
Monday, Aug. 5, 1996
Up 9. Watered all lawns.
Breakfast McDonald's. Albertsons, T.V.Guide 5 cents off.
Home, tennis. Rested, ran tape of "Savage Skies."
Walked 6 to 6:30.
Called for SFO times, changed.
TV: Law & Order, bed, no sleep until 1 a.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 6, 1996
Up 9ish. Breakfast at Metro. "Seal Rock." Bakery.
Library, read some of Britain history.
"Flow Gently, Sweet Afton," 1759-79.
Robert Burns, Scotch, also Loch Lomond. (You take high road, I'll take low.)
Home after blood pressure. Got prunes, sour.
Rested, watered lawns.
TV: Law & Order, Frasier, news, taped POV PBS re Street Cars.
Bed, not good sleep.
Thursday, Aug. 8, 1996
Up 9. Breakfast Kmart. Pancakes!! Too much.
Post Office, OSH, got duct tape, alyssum.
Tennis, Courier vs. Ferrier, 6/7, 7/6.
To Live Oak for dinner, talked to a resident of Shoreline. Earl? fainted at Live Oak.
Thought I lost tape of "Cracker."
Not good sleep again.
Friday, Aug. 9, 1996
Up 9:30,watered lawn. To be hot today!
Put plant food on. Tennis, Agassi. Next Muster.
To Longs, got tuna, melatonin for sleep.
Home, ran "Cracker."
Walked on East Cliff 6 to 6:50. Read papers.
TV: Law & Order, X-Files repeat with aliens/Japanese.
Quake 2 a.m. Slept 3 to 8:30.
Saturday, Aug. 10, 1996
To corner, home 10:40. Planted alyssum.
Got yarn and needles ready. Washed pants and sox.
Wrote Justine. Tennis late, car race.
Agassi vs. Muster, 6/4, 6/1. A. at his best, ran Muster, drop shots. Muster many double faults.
Dodgers/Cincinnati, 7/5 when I went to store.
Power failure 4:30 to 6:20. Justine foned. Outage there, too.
49ers vs. San Diego, 16-23.
Sunday, Aug. 11, 1996
To corner, took French book. Rebo very busy. Spoke with Lois (#8?)
Walked East Cliff. Home after Albertsons.
Many police there checking pick-up truck with household items.
Home, read. Tennis, Agassi vs. Chang. 7/6 (7/4) 6/4. Chang had leg problems, off a long match yesterday. He tired. Seles over Sanchez.
Watered lawn, Larry out also. No fog.
Read P&P.
Monday, Aug. 12, 1996
No melatonin. Slept OK.
To corner, paid .15 for woman who wanted water! .60 bottle. Couldn't reach it!
Walked on East Cliff to mall. Dalton's, bought two books.
News, read P&P. Reading in bed, heard running in alley near Larry, 12:15.
(Later Larry heard also).
Tuesday, Aug. 13, 1996
Sleep after 1 a.m. Up 8:30.
To corner. Talked to man with allergies, then Watsonville man. Wife will undergo operation.
Hot, remained indoors. Talked to Larry 4:45 p.m. He heard, saw my light.
Talked to neighbor Ellie first while raking lawn.
Caught up on papers. TV: A&E Mystery.
Bed. Finished P&P
Wednesday, Aug. 14, 1996
Up 8:30. To Louden for BP after shower, etc. BP good.
To county building: No Amber Brown listed as dead.
To Thrifty, got Head & Shoulders, 1 pair plum & 1 pair black shoes. Both 9's!
Home, lunch. Sore throat!
Papers, wrote Mina. Watered lawn.
Taped recap of O.J. Trial. Mike Wallace narrated.
Ran P&P til 10:48. Took 1 aspirin.
Thursday, Aug. 15, 1996
Up 9. To laundromat. Ate there, then to coffee.
Rebo up at 2:15 a.m. Work at 3.
Hot. To show, "Walking and Talking." I didn't like it!
Home, read, ate. TV: Mystery, Final Curtain, repeat.
Bed. Not good sleep.
Friday, Aug. 16, 1996
Awake 8:30, up 9:30. Walked on East Cliff. To donut, coffee.
Monica threw away the last of my donut, insisted on giving me another. (Sprinkle).
To Gottschalk's, got 2 items on sale: 1 black t-shirt, 1 acrylic sweater., teal/blue & beige.
Looked for coffee grinder, not at Gotts'.
Home, wrote Justine and McCoys.
Some P&P tape, X-Files. 20/20, expecting report on airline food, not on 20/20.
Took melatonin.
Saturday, Aug. 17, 1996
Foned Cypress. Closed Sat.
Breakfast donut, corner. Very busy! Talked re Cambodia, gorilla in zoo.
Checked on bank balance, sum of $171.88 not posted?
Need to go to library, got 800 number to call. Looked up words ending in gry.
To show, "Emma." Neat, good scenes. Almost heard everyone.
Ate here, read. Finished P&P.
Sunday, Aug. 18, 1996
Up 9:30. Tired. Air still. No Zing.
Walked cliff 20 mins to donut, coffee. Talked lots.
Read papers, etc. Some 49ers, terrible!
Read Beatrice Wood's auto bio. Interesting.
Some 60 mins. Watered lawn 6 p.m.
Wrote Mina.
Monday, Aug. 19, 1996
Called SW Bell re check, referred to Bank of NY. Phillip, very nice.
Called BofA, need checks.
Ate Kmart. To San Jose, Cypress Senior Center. Took yarn, books, needles.
Bought Lotto. To Nordstrom, just looked. Hot.
Home via Albertsons. Got watermelon. Delicious.
Taped PBS, read Bea Wood.
Tuesday, Aug. 20, 1996
Up 9 a.m. Dozed some. Donut/coffee. Talked to Rebo, slow.
"Clayton" is man with granddaughter.
Must check brakes. Did, seems okay.
Washed clothes, ironed, lunch.
To show, "Celestial Clockwork." Fun.
Got cardboard pix of Bea Wood's drawings.
OSH, paint brush. Met woman from La Defense. Talked a bit, shook hands.
Home. News, A&E Silent Witness, Frasier, rerun.
Bed 9:30, no sleep. Finally 10:30 took melatonin.
Wednesday, Aug. 21, 1996
Breakfast at corner. Asked re electric of man w/white beard.
To OSH, got gloves, paint thinner, plant (lamb's ears.)
Bank. H has not cashed check!
Rested a bit, wrote Justine, read papers.
Prepared wood for paint, scraped paint off.
Watered lawn. Neighbors had deck put up. Nice job. Blisters on wood.
Clara barbecue. Shower/hair.
TV: Law & Order. Bed, read Austen.
Mail: Mina returned tape.
Thursday, Aug. 22, 1996
Awake 7:45, up 8:45. To Post Office, mailed Justine's letter.
To donut/coffee. To OSH, got spray primer.
Worked on “door,” 2 layers of primer.
Mail: Letter from Prudy, 7 pages. She had operation, got cat. Black kitten.
To Kmart, got cookies, Rose. Ran P&P.
Painted blue in afternoon, again tomorrow afternoon.
Tried Justine, no one home. 4 rings.
TV: Part of “Two Mules for Sister Sarah,” Law & Order.
Read paper. Bed 10:30.
Friday, Aug. 23, 1996
Up 8:45. To Lyon’s. Lilly there, talked.
To bookstore, Mrs. Pollifax.
Back to Lyon's, paid waitress $1.
Albertson's, fruit and milk. Ran P&P one hour.
Law & Order, some 49ers. Not good.
X-Files, alligators.
Bed, read. No sleep. Some melatonin, too much.
Put part back on side.
Saturday, Aug. 24, 1996
Up 9:15. Washed car, watered lawn. To corner.
Longs, asked about melatonin! To Gottschalk's.
Called Justine, talked long. Send her money in Sept. Start 23rd.
Tiger Woods won semi-finals, Dodgers won over Mets, 7-5.
Back to Gottschalk's, got luggage. Got Lotto.
Home, watched part of Aida, 1989, Placido Domingo.
Sunday, Aug. 25, 1996
Breakfast McDonald's. Walked, Gottschalk's, home.
Lunch, golf. Tiger won but was behind until 38th hole, just eked out. Steve last!
Ran last of P&P, new P&P taped until 7 p.m.
Ran 1940 P&P 8:30 to 10:30, then ran credits.
Bed. Very sleepy until in bed, then awake!
Wrote Justine, put newspaper clippings in.
Monday, Aug. 26, 1996
Pay State Farm. To Post Office, mailed two letters.
Croissant at corner. Home, tennis.
To Trader Joe's, Drug Emporium.
Called Live Oak, got menu. Read some Pollifax.
To dinner at Live Oak, talked to Fran, Ken, Edith, Dot.
Tennis, Agassi won.
Taped P&P, one goof.
Read "The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax" until 3 a.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 27, 1996
Awake 8 a.m., 5 hours. Up 9 a.m.
Tennis, Sampras, Lindsay Davenport won.
Shower/hair. Lethargic because of no sleep.
Walked on East Cliff. To Longs for Zinc, vitamins.
Home, lunch. Ate lots.
Tennis, Mary C. wanted to go to Marie Callender's. No!
Taped P&P. Bed 9:45, slept good.
Wednesday, Aug. 28, 1996
Watered lawn, fertilized flowers. To laundromat.
To Louden, forgot no BP.
Home 11:30. Talked a bit to neighbors. She asked about trip, told her.
Wrote three letters: Sy, Mimi and Y. To Post Office
Home 2:40. Read papers until 4:30.
Tennis. Chang defeated opponent who played very bad.
Law & Order rerun. Bed, slept good.
Thursday, Aug. 29, 1996
Awake 7:45, up 8:30. Ironed. Tennis.
Agassi won. I left after 1 1/2 sets to Scotts Valley.
Looked at Gottschalk's, Kmart, 7/11, got crackers.
To show, "Tin Cup." Good. Fun!
Albertsons, Longs, got Tagamet.
Home 4:30. Tennis, read papers.
Breaking story: Richard (Dick) Morris.
Friday, Aug. 30, 1996
Rent tomorrow. Up 8:30. Watered lawn, fertilized.
Walked on East Cliff. Beautiful, surf's up.
Breakfast at corner. "Ellie" gave her 5-gal white. Told to move shed.
Tennis: Sampras almost lost to Novak.
Mail: VAL ticket. Wrong address, had 24, not 25.
Saturday, Aug. 31, 1996
Rent. Up 8. Breakfast corner. Talked to man with dog.
Tennis til 2. To Gottschalk's, got sweater. T-shirt!
Back to tennis, Agassi won.
Washed windows on east, readpapers.
Bed early. Read. Not good sleep.
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