My Grandmother's Journals: September, 1999. "To KFC, got pot pie."

Grandma and in granddaughters in the 1970s.

Welcome to my anti-anxiety medication: my grandmother’s journals. Because reading all the details of her days, the minutiae of what she ate and what she watched on TV, is to me both fascinating and soothing, the perfect antidote to stress, worry and frustration — which we all seem to have far too much of these days!

In September of 1999, she turned 84 as woman living alone in a trailer park, but don't feel sorry for her because she wasn’t sad, and neither was her home — she was the most fiercely independent person I have ever known, living near one of the coolest places I’ve ever seen: Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz, Calif. 

 

And nearly every day she walked the cliffs along the ocean, looking out for the surfers who loved that spot, too. 

 

 

That was cool 

 

And man, that life of walking near the ocean, going to the donut shop for some coffee and a treat before heading to the movies sounds just about perfect right about now.

(I wrote more about her life in this post)

 

Also in September of 1999, grandma was watching tennis, driving down to stay with a friend in Santa Maria, and dutifully checking for email messages from me and my sister on the computers at the library.

 

August entries.

 

Wednesday, Sept. 1, 1999

Up 7:30, usual breakfast. Chores.

Got gas at Kmart, breakfast again!

Bought food at Kmart, Albertsons. No soy!

Home 11:30. News, Murder 

To BofA, Wells Fargo, Credit Union.

To McDonald's for sundae.

TV: Due South, L&O (old).

Bed, some crossword. 

L&O, fell asleep, twist ending!

Consumed much water, up three times.

Thursday, Sept. 2, 1999

Up 8:30, usual breakfast. Ready by 10.

Walked on cliff.

To Drug Emporium for TV Guide.

To show, "The Muse." Liked.

To library, email from Justine. Sent her message with Treasury note and that I saw "Muse" and liked it. Sent same message to H but omitted movie Muse.

TV: Due South, X-Files.

Bed 11:30. Not good sleep, ear noise.

Friday, Sept. 3, 1999

Up 7:30, usual breakfast.

Chores. To Nob Hill for milk, soy.

Walked on cliff. Cold, high surf. Many surfers. Fog, chilly.

To KFC, got pot pie.

To Blockbuster, got three: The Breakfast Club, Blow Up, Shakespeare in Love.

Home, rested til 3.

Mail: Myra, Sears, Lucent.

Ellie needed to go to bank, took her. Saw Larry.

TV: Tennis, watched Shakespeare in Love after Due South. Very good.

 

Saturday, Sept. 4, 1999

Up 7:30 again. Ear bad. Slept 2 hours maybe.

Usual breakfast. Chores.

To Longs, got soup, etc.

Tennis: Agassi won, Serena won, Seles won.

Mail: Check from Visa, letter from Mina.

Returned Shakespeare in Love.

To Burger King, fish and fries!

Carole called 8 p.m., talked til 10 p.m.

Bed 12. Another bad night, took pain pill. Slept til 9:30.

 

Sunday, Sept. 5, 1999

Rain at U.S. Open, Rerun of 1997.

Mary Joe Fernandez slipped on wet court.

Not a lot of matches on TV.

Ran Breakfast Club while checking tennis.

TV: Ebert (dropped Siskel); X-Files, some news.

Bed, not able to sleep. Called Justine, left message on machine.

 

Monday, Sept. 6, 1999

Better sleep, massaged ear.

Usual breakfast, tennis. 

Returned Breakfast Club. To Trader Joe's.

Called Mina regarding Prudy.

TV: News, Law & Order.

Bed 9, no sleep. Ear bad.

 

Tuesday, Sept. 7, 1999

Slept til 9:30. Took melatonin, had tea about 2 a.m.

Shower/hair.

To Kmart around 11:30, ate.

Returned Blow Up.

To library, Internet shut. Finally open, logged on, unable to get any messages. Overloaded. Holiday?

Home 5 p.m. News, Due South, good.

TV: Law & Order, Diagnosis Murder.

Slept good! Finally, used dry heat.

Wednesday, Sept. 8, 1999

Up 8, usual breakfast.

Walked Capitola, fruit stand. 

Drug Emporium, got TV Guide, soup.

To library, lost visor. Found it.

Was to see Twin Falls. No early show today.

Got info on Word Cruncher, Visa to write complaint.

Mail: Card from Jennifer.

Tennis, news, Due South, L&O.

Ellie husband still in hospital.

Sleep 11:30, not great. 

Thunder, lightning, some rain. Storm set fire in Big Sur. Called Justine.

 

Thursday, Sept. 9, 1999

Up 8:30, breakfast usual. 

To Drug Emporium for paper.

Changed sheets, chores. Washed some sox here.

To Scotts Valley, ate KFC.

To Kmart, got 2 pair pants, food.

To show, "Iron Man."

Got gas, home.

Mail: Letter from Mina, consumer survey.

Foned Justine, told her about trip to Santa Maria.

Some TV, bed.

Friday, Sept. 10, 1999

To Mayra's, take tamales!

Up 7, out 10.

To Soledad, saw John Mark about 1:30. He not good.

We discussed Sixth Sense, his friends did not figure it out.

Arrived Myra's 5:30 p.m. Had chicken stew, talked.

Bed 11, no sleep at all. Ear bad.

Saturday, Sept. 11, 1999 - At Myra's

Up 7, breakfast.

We to Food 4 Less, then Asian market. Not Chinese.

To McFrugal's, JoAnn's Fabrics. Oilcloth $3.99, 25% off.

Ate at Sizzler in Arroyo Grande.

Back to Penney's, Myra got pants, I got black sweater.

Home, had tamales. Got news.

Tennis: Serena to play Hingis today: 6/3, 7/6, 7/4.

Bed, took pill.

Sunday, Sept 12, 1999 - Her 84th birthday

Up 7, stayed in all day.

Myra worked: Made soup, washed clothes, changed bed, etc.

Ate rest of tamales.

Tennis: Agassi over Todd Martin: 6/3, 6/7, 6/7, 6/4, 7/6.

Walked to Von's, strip mall.

Read paper.

Bed 11, took pill.

Monday, Sept. 13, 1999

Packed, etc.

Up 7, breakfast. 9:30 off.

First stop Paso Robles, got fudge cake.

Third stop Soledad, arrived Santa Cruz 2:38 p.m. 

193 miles, five hours, three stops.

To mall for paper. Read, did crossword til 6:15.

Used toilet at Sears, ate banana and cookies.

Home 6:30. Ellie's husband died Friday. He was very sick.

Two phone messages, Justine and Debbie.

Some TV.

Tuesday, Sept. 14, 1999

Up 7. Got bank balance, 31 cents off.

To Dr. Ramirez, got partial.

To McDonald's, got coffee and muffin.

Home, unpacked, Washed some clothes.

Called Justine two times, ate.

Justine called back. Discussed 2 years, 2 months.

TV: News, Due South. Read papers.

Readied for bed, one hour for everything.

10 p.m. news, storm on East Coast, Hurricane Floyd.

 

Wednesday, Sept. 15, 1999

Up 6 a.m. Breakfast tea and melon.

To laundromat.

Home, wrote U.P. man regarding railroad crossing. Also wrote to Carla.

Took to post office 10:20, first pick-up at 10:15.

To Kmart for groceries, BP.

Home, ironing, read papers.

To library, email up! One message from H, two from Justine.

Thursday, Sept. 16, 1999

Awake 6 to 7. Usual breakfast.

Chores. Typewriter troubles!

To mall, paid Sears.

Got hanger clips, checked for shoes, flat. No go at Payless, Kmart.

To Ocean, coffee/donut. To thrift shop, donations.

Mail: Card from Carla from Hawaii.

TV: Murder She Says, Lehrer.

Packed vitamins.

Called Justine 4:30, not good. Said I would call regarding Sunday, maybe I won't.

TV: News, Due South. Most reruns.

Not good sleep. Vicks, heat lamp.

 

Friday, Sept. 17, 1999

Awake 5:30 to 7:30. Used heat lamp.

Chores, ironed. Foned Visa. 

Libraries closed.

To Drug Emporium, got card for Prudy. BP OK.

To McWhorter's for Xerox.

Home, lunch. (Corn).

To show, "Stir of Echoes." Kevin Bacon, boy sees dead again,

Mail: Mastercard.

TV: News, same, Due South, then ready for bed.

Slept very good!!

Saturday, Sept. 18, 1999

Awake 6, up 7. Breakfast, shower/hair.

To bank, Orchard Supply.

To Kmart: Got crackers, gas, lunch.

To library. Message from Carla: Cool, no reply to Yamaha. I answered.

Home, packed. Wrote to Sy, letter to BofA.

Mailed letters, got cookies and candy at Rite Aid.

Home, some TV. Called Carla at 6:15, said I'd call tomorrow.

Bed early.