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. I never perceived her as lonely, though, because I never knew her to live with another person or even a pet after she raised my mother on her own in Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s. (I wrote more about her life in this post.)
November of 1998 was a pretty slow month for grandma. She wasn’t planning any trips, as we had just gotten back from New York, and was mostly watching football and tracking her blood pressure, which was already high due to her diet, and got even higher that month as she fumed over the Starr report on President Clinton, whom she liked.
Sunday, Nov. 1, 1998
Breakfast Kmart.
Talked to Myra, Dottie moving to senior complex in Paso Robles.
There was a plumbing problem!
Lois at Kmart. Oscar worse.
Got lamp at Kmart. $19.99 (20% off)
To Ross, same jogger suit there as Dottie got.
Football: Green Bay over 49ers, 36-22.
TV: Siskel & Ebert, no 60 Minutes.
Monday, Nov. 2, 1998
11 a.m. tune-up at Goodyear. Ask for spark plugs.
Longs, Xerox. Got tissue, Corn Flakes.
To Goodyear. Horn worked then, not later.
Home 2 p.m. Message from Margaret re water.
Read papers.
TV: Matlock.
Football: part of Dallas vs. Phila. Deion ran punt back for TD.
Taped “Cats” and “Becker,” new Ted Danson show.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1998
Vote.
To Longs. TP, stew.
To Ross, tried on for 1 hour!
Home, lunch. 2 p.m. Murder She Wrote.
Watched part of “Cats,” up til 12:30.
Watched Nightline for Election returns.
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 1998
Margaret foned. Water off.
Checked at 10, water on. I showered, then off again.
Drug Emporium for BP, got vitamins.
Read paper. Kmart for lunch.
TV: Geraldo, Jim Lehrer.
Goofed on taping second part of “Respected Trade.”
Bed 9 p.m., no sleep til 1:30 a.m.
Thursday, Nov. 5, 1998
9:30, call from dentist. Cancellation, do I want to fill in? No.
Drug Emporium for BP, coffee at McDonald’s.
To Ross in Capitola, then River Street. Found XL blue with embroidery, zipper in legs.
Home, Lehrer news. Henry Hyde announced Starr to appear Nov. 19. Sending letter and questions, probing and insulting.
Sewed three hats.
TV: Frasier, some old X-Files.
Friday, Nov. 6, 1998
Up 7:30. Usual breakfast. Finished crossword.
Rain in San Francisco.
To Patagonia, returned yellow jacket.
To Scotts Valley, ice cream!
Decided to go home instead of to show. Rain and cold.
To Albertsons, got veggies and milk.
News: Newt Gingrich may resign? Stayed up for Koppel.
Saturday, Nov. 7, 1998
Rain, cold.
Wrote letter, to Kmart for lunch at 11.
To show, “The Siege.” Good. Annette Bening, Denzel Washington. Bruce Willis, not listed in front.
TV: Some PBS, old Henry Fonda.
Tennis: Sampras vs. Todd Martin, Sampras fell hitting an overhead!
Sunday, Nov. 8, 1998
Awake 6, then 7. Usual breakfast.
Charted stocks, made chart for crossword dictionary.
Cold, but no rain.
Typed some, put October pix in album.
NFL: 49ers vs. Carolina, 25 - 23. Detmer QB. (Young out w/injury.)
Sun out in San Francisco, rain and clouds here.
TV: Taped Whoopie Goldberg, “A Knight In Camelot,” then second part of “Unknown Soldier.”
Bed, read Story of Iraq.
Monday, Nov. 9, 1998
Awake 6, slept til 9.
To Drug Emporium, McDonald’s for coffee.
Home, wrote Patagonia and Boston Museum.
Fone Myra.
Mail: Letter from Justine.
TV: Murder She Says, Jim Lehrer, some bio of “Duke,” John Wayne.
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 1998
Ready by 9.
To Drug Emporium, got TV Guide, etc. Checked “Hearing Center.” Closed.
KFC, got chicken pie and chocolate pie!
Raining, cold.
News, ate, chores, paper.
Geraldo: Good show, Gerry Spence, Alan Dershowitz.
TV: PBS, first part of Unknown Soldier, then first of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 1998 - Holiday
Cold! Usual breakfast, chores.
Dentists, looking for knitting bag.
Brought jewelry to St. Vincent de Paul.
To Beverly’s, got dried flowers, gold.
Holiday, no mail.
Geraldo, read papers, crossword.
TV: Law & Order (repeat), second part of Frank Lloyd Wright. He died six months before the Guggenheim opened.
Thursday, Nov. 12, 1998
Cold, usual breakfast. Ready by 10.
Drug Emporium, coffee, bank.
Checked tires, thought low, no.
Got T-Bill info for girls. Home, reconciled account, mailed checks to them.
Home, lunch, worked on cleaning out cabinet. Cut linoleum for 2 shelves.
TV: Geraldo, had woman on who interrupts others, turned off.
Friday, Nov. 13, 1998
Awake 7:45, usual breakfast. Finished paper, packed vitamins.
Worked on cabinet, top shelf, til noon. Insecticides and paint to get rid of.
To Kmart, salad and pumpkin pie.
Home 2:30, some MSS (Murder She Says), then Lehrer News. Interesting.
Mail: Vitamin order, bills, book from Stimson!
Saturday, Nov. 14, 1998.
Up 7, cold. Heat til 8.
Usual breakfast, chores, watered plants.
To post office, KFC for lunch.
To town, gave bags to thrift shop on Front Street. Checked Logo's.
To show, “The Celebration.” Danish. Man is 60, has abused his children, son tells all. Odd photography, mostly face shots!
TV: Stargate, X-Files, skating.
Sunday, Nov. 15, 1998
Lifetime, 4 p.m.?
Crazy dream: On beach, airplane carrying large object above us. Bridge girders?
Up 7:30, usual breakfast.
Football: 49ers vs. Atlanta, 19-31.
Cleaned off insecticides, sprayed weeds.
TV: News, Siskel & Ebert, 60 minutes, Sleeping Beauty, X-Files.
Monday, Nov. 16, 1998
Up 7:30, heat until 8:15.
Usual breakfast, some yard work.
3 fone calls: Federal Reserve, renewed Wall Street Journal, Healthwise
To Kmart for lunch.
To Mervyn’s, bookstore. No Wall Street.
Mail: New Yorker, read.
TV: Murder She says, Jim Lehrer.
Shower, hair.
TV: Geraldo, some Discovery, Baby Animals.
Rain in night.
Lisa Norrell’s body found. Strangled? Students shot in Napa.
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 1998
Leonid shower, can’t see. Rained last night.
Awake 6, heat til 7. Some sewing. (Bra.)
Drug Emporium, BP. High? Got TV Guide.
Trader Joe’s bread, soup, moisturizer.
McDonald’s for coffee, read paper.
Home 11:30, Monica's tapes released. CNN pix show reporters “like dogs over a bone.”
Mail: Letter from Stimson. Wrote to Carla, Prudy.
TV: Geraldo, Napa shootings, Morse, Law & Order.
Outside 2x, tried to see Leonids. No go.
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1998
Slept til 8. Usual breakfast. Chores.
To Longs, BP high.
Finished letter to Prudy.
To show, “Meet Joe Black.” Liked. Anthony Hopkins.
Home, washed clothes.
TV: Geraldo, X-Files, Voyager.
Bed, no sleep. Up for milk, hot. Sleep 1:30 a.m.
Thursday, Nov. 19, 1998
Awake 7:10, heat until 8. Cup of tea, crackers.
Ready 9:15, Drug Emporium for BP, paper.
Gas at Kmart, 9:25 on freeway to Monterey.
Arrived 10:25 but couldn’t find the Longs. Arrived 11 a.m., got test. Diabetes OK.
Ate at “Sea Harvest.”
Home, about 85 miles round-trip. Tired.
Watched CNN, part of “Judiciary Panel,” Ken Starr.
Bed early.
Friday, Nov. 20, 1998
Up 8, usual breakfast. Chores, still tired.
To mall, full of teens. Holiday?
Coffee at cookie place. Good, but high: $1.10
To Scotts Valley, looked for “knitting” bag. Expensive.
Lunch at KFC, then home.
Mail: Package (book) from Mina + letter, fone bill.
TV: Geraldo, Marcia there. Fair discourse.
Law & Order, Love Boat (captain is fatter).
Bed, no sleep. Right ear noisy.
Saturday, Nov. 21, 1998
Awake 7 but up 9:45.
To Drug Emporium, BP good.
To Albertsons, Longs, BP again, good.
Coffee at McDonald’s.
Home 1 p.m. Warm out, ear starting. If I keep moving, no noise, but changes if quiet.
News, CNN, wrote Mina.
TV: “The Big Sleep,” Bogart, Bacall.
Sunday, Nov. 22, 1998
Good sleep. Up 7, heat.
Usual breakfast, finished crossword.
Changed some boxes of summer/winter clothes. Still some to go.
Watched Vikings/GreenBay game, wrote Stimson.
To Kmart, pumpkin pie and butter pecan! 400 calories.
Lunch was lettuce, veggies.
TV: Football, some tennis.
Ironed long-sleeved high neck.
Tuesday, Nov. 24, 1998
Up 9 a.m., same as Monday.
Bought cookies for bake sale. Man baked zucchini bread. Good.
To post office, mailed brochure to Mina.
Home. TV: Murder She Says, Jim Lehrer.
Carole to be here 7:25. Missed it. Then 8:05. On time!
Bed early after AMC “Blacks in Hollywood.”
Wednesday, Nov. 25, 1998
Awake 6, up 7. Laundromat, breakfast at Kmart.
Home 10:30, chores. Tired, rested.
Shower, hair.
2 p.m., Murder She Says, Jim Lehrer.
Mail, paper, crossword.
TV: Voyager, much special effects.
10 pm: Diane Sawyer interviews Ken Starr, he still has holier-than-thou attitude, voice changes, talking to child or sinner.
Some news, Koppel.
Thursday, Nov. 26, 1998 (Thanksgiving)
Awake 6, cold. Usual breakfast.
Packed vitamins, chores. Ready by 10:30. Larry out sweeping his patio.
Drug Emporium closed, Longs, too.
To Lighthouse, big waves. About five surfers in, but NOT in white water.
To show, “Elizabeth.” Good.
Football: Vikings 46, vs. Dallas 36.
TV: Jumanji, Robin Williams, special effects.
Friday, Nov. 27, 1998
Bed til 8, usual breakfast.
Drug Emporium, BP 157/79.
To Trader Joe’s, rainy.
Home. Frost 1-3, Morse 3-5.
Mail: Bank forms from Treasury, WRONG.
TV: Rerun of 1997 Opera House Opening, Placido sings Wagner.
Justine called. Oetzel hip replacement.
Saturday, Nov. 28, 1998
Slept late, 9:25. Chores after breakfast.
Wrote to Simson til 12:15.
To Show, “Enemy of the State.” Will Smith, Gene Hackman. Great suspense.
Ate Kmart.
News, read paper.
Ran tape of “Get Shorty.”
Bed 9, awake 12:30. Drank milk, read New Yorker til 1:30.
Sunday, Nov. 29, 1998
Slept til 7. Usual, cold.
Rams 10, Falcons 21.
Sorted clothes, got warm weather out. Too many clothes.
Watched football and tennis. Finished letter to Stimson, two pages.
Read papers.
TV: Nightmare before Christmas, X-Files?
Rain in night. Storm, wind.
Monday, Nov. 30, 1998
49ers.
Up 7:30, usual. Wind, rain.
To post office, mailed letters.
Home 11:45. Got wet, changed and warmed. Papers.
TV: Part of 49ers vs. Giants, Giants scored first.
Geraldo, Law & Order. Bed 9, but no sleep.
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