My Grandmother’s Journals: September, 1997

Grandma traveling in 1972.

In tiny notebooks, my grandmother wrote each day when she woke, where she ate breakfast, any movie she went to see, any mail and calls she received, then what she read and watched on TV before bed, where she seemed to struggle to sleep most nights. 

In 1997, she was 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 on the cliffs above the ocean and watching the surfers. When she died, 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. 

 

 

In September of 1997, she quietly turned 82 while watching plenty of tennis, baseball and football. At the end of the month, she drove down to Southern California to attend a reunion of people raised at the orphanage she grew up in, a Masonic Home in Covina, Calif.

 

August entries

 

Monday, Sept. 1, 1997

Jerry Rice out for year.

Driver of car containing Diana drunk? He “security” man. Real driver sent ahead as decoy.

McDonald’s, got Chicken sandwich.

Wrote Mina.

Tired. Heat is fatiguing.

TV: News, Poirot.

 

Tuesday, Sept. 2, 1997

Up  every 2 hours: 2-4-6. Up 8.

Took anti-freeze to dump, plastic bottles to Greybears.

Tennis: Chang, five sets! Both exhausted.

To Kmart, ate lunch.

 

Wednesday, Sept. 3, 1997

Laundromat.

Breakfast McDonald’s, sausage biscuit.

Home, Ronn Owens.

Longs, BP & Xerox. Man hogging machine.

Home, garbage cans being delivered.

TV: Tennis, X-Files. 

 

Thursday, Sept. 4, 1997

Ronn’s last day in London.

Walked East Cliff.

Longs, got diuretics. 

Home, forgot paper.

Gottschalk’s, got binder.

To Albertsons, bananas on sale.

Worked on taxes.

 

Friday, Sept. 5, 1997

Called Mina. Talks better with inhaler.

Mother Teresa died. Heart.

TLC arrived. He sat with me to watch Venus Williams.

Called Mina again, she pleased about Venus also.

Rested a bit, watched Diana’s funeral til 5 a.m. (Taped six+ hours)

 

Saturday, Sept. 6, 1997

To Longs. Got melon at Albertsons.

Swept some under couch.

To bank for balance.

TV: Tennis, women’s doubles.

Mail: Letter from Prudy.

More cleaning.

Slept good, tired.

 

Sunday, Sept. 7, 1997

Up 8, ate here. 

Back to sweeping, cleaned pebbles up.

Football: 49ers v. Rams, 15-12, surprise.

Tennis: Hingis, of course. Venus choked.

To McDonald’s on Ocean, got chicken san.

To show, “Career Girl.”

 

Monday, Sept. 8, 1997

Ate, got paper.

To OSH: Got Liquid Gold, Black Flag, Rust-oleum and brush.

Worked 10:30 to 1 p.m. (2 1/2 hours).

Tired.

Cleaned fridge.

TV: Poirot repeat.

Fertilized lawn.

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 1997

Awake 6. Quiet?

Took it easy. Shower, hair.

Longs, BP. McDonald’s, got salad.

Wrote TLC.

Watered lawn.

Burgess Meredith died, 89.

 

Wednesday, Sept. 10, 1997

To McDonald’s in mall for coffee.

Looked around Gottschalk’s.

Kmart, got chicken sand.

Painted stove hood, walrus.

TV: Geraldo, Law & Order, Star Trek Voyager, TNG.

 

Thursday, Sept. 11, 1997

Awake 6, back to sleep til 9. Static on radio.

Checked hood of stove and walrus, some spots redone.

Started on rose bush.

Kmart, BP. “Doctor” there.

Scotts Valley, ate at Chinese place. “Joe” TLC came in.

To show, “Men in Black.” Me alone. 

Home, ate. Worked on transplant: Got big Easter/Xmas plant in Big Pot.

TV: X-Files. Read a bit.

Friday, Sept. 12, 1997 [Her 82nd birthday]

Worked on transplant to big pot, 9:30 to 11.

Fog in am, hot later.

Gottschalk’s, looked for brown to wear with brown. Nothing.

Kmart, found ecru. Ate lunch.

Home, neighbor helped with plant hole.

TV: X-Files, JAG!

Baseball: Giants won, Dodgers lost.

 

Saturday, Sept. 13, 1997

Read until 3:45 a.m. Slept until 9.

Longs, BP high. Got tuna.

To Burger King in mall. Mervyn’s, got denim.

To video store, got 3 videos: Bull Durham, Stargate, Crying Game.

Read papers, more work on yard.

Ran more of Diana’s funeral. 

Sunday, Sept. 14, 1997

Walked cliff. Extraordinarily lovely day.

Home, watched “I Married a Witch,” Veronica Lake.

Football: 49ers v. Saints. 33-7.

To OSH, got flowers. Planted pansies.

Talked to Mary. 

Ran “Stargate.”

Monday, Sept. 15, 1997

Planted patients. 

To Longs, BP. Got beige watch, TV Guide, canned fruit.

Walked cliff, 45 minutes. 

Vitamin Center, got tea + ginko.

Football: Phila vs. Dallas. Phila ahead, blew it.

 

Tuesday, Sept. 16, 1997

Kmart, BP, ate chicken sandwich.

Home, ran tape of Ally MacBeal, sitcom, lawyers.

Dodgers vs. St. Louis. Eckersly on in 9th, but Dodgers got runs off him he out.

Dodger Radinsky, rock band.

TV: Frasier, X-Files. Washed clothes.

 

Wednesday, Sept. 17, 1997

Walked cliff. 

Longs, BP.

Vacuumed, bedroom walls good, other rooms casual.

Started “The Crying Game.”

TV: Geraldo, more “debris” in Paris tunnel, Fiat taillight broken.

TV: Star Trek TNG.

No sleep until 2 a.m.!

 

Friday, Sept. 19, 1997

Watered east side.

Larry searching his garbage.

Thirft shop, bought purse $.69.

To Goodwill, bought blouse, $1.95.

Hot.

Wrote Mina & Prudy, took to post office.

Watered west lawn.

Ellie may have bed delivered. Medicare pays rent. 

Saturday, Sept. 20, 1997

Breakfast Kmart, got pillowcase, two shoe racks.

Very warm.

Home, wrote checks, read papers.

Baseball: Giants lost to Padres, Dodgers lost to Rockies.

Packaged 16 days of vitamins.

Couldn't sleep.

 

Sunday, Sept. 21, 1997

Tea 8:30. Up 9.

Called Pearl.

Walked on cliff.

Foned Mina.

Tennis: Sampras, Chang won.

Mina called back, I called her. Talked 1/2 hour. 

Tea. Slept good.

Monday, Sept. 22, 1997

Lunch at Jacks. Turkey burger.

To show, “L.A. Confidential.” Cops beat people. Much killing. 2 1/2 hours.

Got card for seamstress from Ample Annie.

TV: Part of new show “Brooklyn South.” Obnoxious woman named “Yvonne.”

Had sleep tea, no work. No sleep til almost 4 a.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 23, 1997

Walked on cliff.

Longs, BP, TV Guide, gum.

Trader Joe’s, got cereal, aloe, gingko, salad.

To be hot today!

To Kmart, ate pecan pie and ice cream!

Took melatonin, slept good.

 

Wednesday, Sept. 24, 1997

Awake 7:15. Tea, cereal.

Longs, BP.

Wherehouse, no “Candle.” To Blockbuster, got two cassettes.

Home, cleaned car, some packing.

Called Justine. Machine clicked off.

Spoke to Larry.

Called Justine again, she answered.

Baseball: Giants won today, Dodgers lost.

No sleep. Radio, Art Bell re: black hole.

 

Thursday, Sept. 25, 1997

Up 8:30. Longs, BP paper.

To Santa Maria Motel 6. Rest area 1:30 to 2.

Swam in pool 1 hour. Met two men from WWII.

Were in Phillipines. One graduated college in 1931, high school 1933.

Ate sandwich, went to Betteravia. [Betteravia is the road in Santa Maria on which my mother was killed in a car crash.]

To Seal Beach, inundated. Coastal waves high.

Friday, Sept. 26, 1997

Good sleep, awake 6.

Checked oil, water, left 10:30.

Got gasoline, probably 40 miles to gallon.

Rest area Gaviota 15 mins, Santa Claus 1/2 hour, than all on I-5 to Fullerton.

Saturday, Sept. 27, 1997

Hot. Up 8, to Balboa.

Walked on pier, sat with Pearl. John Mark there, Dorothy Short, D. Poole.

To Fullerton 5 p.m.

Watched Bull Durham, read a bit.

Baseball: Giants won division.

Sunday, Sept. 28, 1997

Breakfast at Pollys. Listed thrift shops.

Left for Covina noon, arrived about 12:30. Very hot.

Signed in, talked to Pearl, Orin. Dorothy lives in Ojai. May visit?

Back  3 p.m., almost had accident: Van tried to pull into stop-go traffic, I hit brakes and skidded, near accident.

To Mina’s 4:45, talked, ate avocado, carrots.

TV: 60 Minutes, Siskel & Ebert.

Crossword puzzle,  read.

Monday,  Sept. 29, 1997

Up 8, talked. 

To McDonald’s, got coffee, decaf. $.57

To Goodwill, thrift stores. Got blouse.

Back to Mina’s, talked, Another hot dog.

Football: 49ers beat Panthers.

Watched Diana's funeral, science program.

Tuesday, Sept. 30, 1997

Tea, cereal, left 9:45. Mina not well.

Stopped 11:30 at McDonald’s 

Rest 2 p.m. in Buellton. Got Sobe drink.

Satna Cruz 6:45, nine hours. 

410 miles today, trip 980 miles.

October entries.

 

My Grandmother's Journals: February, 1997

After my grandmother died at the age of 97, I found a large purse full of small notebooks where she recorded her daily activities: when she woke up, where she ate breakfast, what mail she received, what movies she went to see and what she watched on TV.

 

That was cool. 

 

Cool because I find these daily snapshots fascinating, and also therapeutic. Something about following in her footsteps, living the details of her day, soothes me. The routine. The normalcy. The predictability. I need it right now. 

 

And so I keep reading them, and transcribing them here, in case others might need some normalcy and predictability as well.

In February of 1997, my grandmother was 81 and still living alone in a mobile home park in Santa Cruz, Calif,  near the surfing spot Pleasure Point. 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.)  

 

Since the Super Bowl was still held in January of that year, there were no more football games for her to watch in February, but she saw plenty of movies, walked often near the ocean, spent a lot of time checking her blood pressure and talked to me often as I searched for a newspaper job after graduating with a journalism degree the previous December.

January entries.

 

Saturday, Feb. 1, 1997

Cold. Stayed in bed til 8.

Washed towel, ironed apron. 

Coffee & donut at corner.

Home 10:30. Vacuumed, ate soup.

To show, "Three Lives and Only One Death." Marcello Mastroianni.

Mail: Bank statement OK, auto insurance $17.34 less.

TV: Siskel & Ebert, OK to 3. Watched "Groundhog Day" again.

Bed, read. Up 3 times. Last sleep is best.

 

Sunday, Feb. 2, 1997

Awake 6. Ear good.

Walked on East Cliff.

To corner. Lee there. Her husband slow today, from stroke.

Golf til 5 p.m. Very good, did various chores.

Crossword, started letters, owe everybody.

Bed, read “Murder at BP” til 2:30. 

Had soup, bread.

 

Monday, Feb. 3, 1997

Up 9. Breakfast Lyon's. Increased prices. (Made 2.69 to 2.99 for seniors, so total is higher. Accountant's suggestion?)

Gas, Drug Emporium, Trader Joe's. 

Wrote Mimi after news.

To Longs for Xerox, eye vitamins, envelopes.

Mailed letter to Mimi, package to Mina.

Went by Dunlaps [her neighbors]. Anna there, friend w/Ellie since '72.

 

Tuesday, Feb. 4, 1997

Breakfast corner. 

Some chores, wrote letter to Prudy.

Walked on East Cliff.

Two quakes north of SF, 3.5 and 3.8.

Verdict reached in O.J. civil trial, liable all 8 counts. $8.5 million.

Watched Geraldo, skipped Clinton's State of the Union.

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 1997

Awake 8:30, up 9. Chores, ate banana, cereal.

Walked, tea, croissant.

Library, got Jan. 17 Mercury News.

To Scotts Valley, ate hot dog! Ice cream!

To show, "Jerry Maguire." A section of life I do not relate to."

Home, dinner. Bed early, crossword. Couldn't sleep.

PBS, Living Edens. (Alaska, Denali, not McKinley.)

Thursday, Feb. 6, 1997

Ronald Reagan 86th birthday.

Appointment at 9:30. Hearing in right ear getting bad. Check again in one year.

Mall, coffee and muffin.

Home, news, various chores. Wrote Justine.

TV: News, Tiger Woods food poisoning. 

Saturday, Feb. 8, 1997

Slept til 9, at corner til 10:30.

Drug Emporium has BP machine. Mine 119/59? 

Got gingko biloba, another “slumber cap,” rat tail comb.

To library, returned 2 & 3 of “Silk Road.”

To show, “Les Voleurs.” Good. Catherine Deneuve.

To McDonald’s, chicken.

Started Hamlet, A&E.

 

Sunday, Feb. 9, 1997

Up 8:15, some cereal. To 41st for coffee, donuts.

To show, "Hamlet." Exciting. Spilled water on me, pants wet hours. I dropped glove, found a watch. They found glove, I turned in watch.

To Kmart, turkey sandwich.

Home, wrapped video for Mina, wrote small note.

TV: Mystery, Summertime, one segment from 60 Minutes, Helen Mirren. 

 

Tuesday, Feb. 11, 1997

Good sleep. To laundromat, sheets.

Ate cereal, banana.

To Gottschalk's, got 4 items: Liz jacket (denim), white t-shirt, blue silk, grey with sequins.

To Drug Emporium, BP. Talked to lady, said another machine at Kmart.

Ran "Silk Road." 

Quake, 3.0. Same area at Rohnert Park.

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 1997

Up 8:30. Chores here. Walked East Cliff.

Drug Emporium, checked BP, 146. Louden, 154.

Library, returned “Silk Road,” got French lessons.

Gottschalk’s, got pants & sweater!!

TV: News, Nova. 

Bed, read book.

 

Thursday, Feb. 13, 1997

Up 7:30. Pulled weeds one hour. To corner.

Home, wrote misc info gathered re "Maul and the Pear Tree."

To Drug Emporium, sports shop. (Fanny packs high.)

To Live Oak, sat with Earl, Mildred, Um? Jennings. Emilio or Amelio?

Home, news. Some Geraldo. Some "Secrets of Lost Empire."

Bio of W.E.B. Du Bois.

Friday, Feb. 14, 1997

Awake 7, then 9:30. To corner.

BP at Drug Emporium. 117/52. Then to Kmart, 142/68. Why?

Library, got Franc exchange. .07F difference.

To Cinema, line for "Absolute Power." Ate tuna sandwich.

Then to "Mother Night" at Nickelodeon.

Home, some weeding.

Mail: Letter from Mina.

TV: "Like Water for Chocolate" one hour, skating one hour.

Saturday, Feb. 15, 1997

Up 9:30. To corner, talked a bit.

To mall, looked for shoes. Sears, Penney, Gotts, etc.

To Kmart, returned Bone purse.

Justine called. Will be here tomorrow.

TV: Ice skating. Tara Lipinski won, Michelle Kwan 2nd, Nicole Bobek 3rd.

Sunday, Feb. 16, 1997

Chilly in a.m. Breakfast corner. Talked to Lois.

Read instructions on vacuum. Put batteries in charger.

11 a.m., ironed, various chores. 

Justine called 1:15. To Catalyst, I had veg soup.

Drove to UCSC, coffee at Starbucks. 

To Gottschalk's for business clothes for Justine. Two items, $87

Home 6 p.m., girls left.

TV: News, taped Emma.

Bed, read Iliad. Rained about 10 to 11.

Monday, Feb. 17, 1997

Up 7:45. Chilly, cloudy.

To Gottschalk's, no find any more.

Home, pruned roses.

Wrote letters: Mina, sent part of Mercury News to Justine.

To McDonald’s, got chicken. Gave man $1.

Home, news a bit. Ran "Emma."

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 1997

Awake 7:30, up 8:15. Coffee, etc at McDonald's.

Kmart, got TV Guide & nuts. 

Shell, got gas, car wash.

Walked on West Cliff.

Home 12:15, free paper!

Wrote three letters.

To Live Oak for BP. Mailed letters.

Home. Dinner. Income tax. Bed.

*Forgot to eat at Live Oak, Alice waiting. I returned later.

 

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 1997

Up 9. Showered/hair. To corner. To library. 

To show, "Sling Blade." Sad. 2 hours, 14 minutes.

Missed dinner, second time.

To Kmart for BP. To Safeway, got fish.

Mail: Letter from Prudy, Hugh has "mass" on left kidney. 

TV: Geraldo, new Supreme Court decision re police can order passengers out of car.

Thursday, Feb. 20, 1997

Slept pretty good. 

Ate Kmart, got mirror, small veg. brush, Maalox.

Mall: Bought hat at Mervyn's, bra and purse at Penney's.

Home, news. Snack, read some papers, rested. 

To Drug Emporium, BP. 

Home, some weeding. News, Geraldo.

Sewed sleep hat, mended t-shirt.

TV: Mystery, missed first segment.

Friday, Feb. 21, 1997

Cold. To corner.

Washed six t-shirts. To laundromat.

Drug Emporium, BP. Longs, pix.

To show, "Star Wars." [Re-release]. Wanted to stay for "Absolute Power," but parking space only two hours.

TV: Geraldo. Had [Mark] Fuhrman on as guest.

Some French. Bed, read 10 minutes.

 

Saturday, Feb. 22, 1997

Not great sleep. Windy today.

Up 9. Doctor on KGO recommends Gingko.

Drug Emporium, BP and ear plugs, new toothbrush.

Trader Joe’s, dried fruit, catfish, veg burgers.

Home, wrote Prudy. 

To bank, got $200. Worked on taxes. 

Watched two hours of “Jack the Ripper” with Michael Caine as detective.

 

Sunday,Feb. 23, 1997

Bed til 9:40! Drug Emporium, checked BP.

To Vibol's, Lois and Oscar there.

Kmart, checked BP. Sale on Bone flats, but no size 9.

To Scotts Valley Kmart, had 9s!

To Wendy's, got chicken sandwich, salad.

Home, some French. 

Watched second  part of "Jack the Ripper."

6 to 7:30. Ate with Mary Clark at Marie Callender's. Salad, wonton.

Slept til 1:30, watched "Pink Cadillac," Bernadette Peters, Clint Eastwood, til 3:30.

No sleep.

Monday, Feb. 24, 1997

Up 9:15. Breakfast corner.

Gottschalk's, got brown sweater. 

Drug Emporium, BP, TV Guide. Longs for Xerox.

No mail.

Rested, straightened sox, underwear drawer. 

Tired, but can't sleep. Ate a little bit of salad, threw away.

Bed, read, crossword. Finally slept.

Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1997

Cold. Up 9:15. Yard work til 11. 

To Gottschalk's. No brown Alfred Dunner, but did buy two blouses, 1 navy, 1 black. Classics.

To thrift shop, gave clothes, didn't make notes.

Library, home. Salad.

TV: "The Killers" AMC,

Drug Emporium, BP. Low?

Read, news. 

TV: Mystery, Law & Order, Frasier, Caroline in the City. 

Read til 1:30.

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1997

Up 8:30. Cold developed! 

Had apple sauce.To 41st Donut.

To Kmart, checked BP. Low.

To Louden for BP, 162.

Home, some yard work. Made new money holder for travel.

Mail: Letter from Mina, liked  Summertime (1955).

Carol called, I called back. Talked 1 and 1/4 hour.

TV: Law & Order, dance competition.

Not good sleep.

 

Thursday, Feb. 27, 1997

Up 9:30. Breakfast corner.

Longs, got tissue and pineapple.

Library, returned book.

To Kmart, got blue pumps.

Windy, slight rain. Read. 

5:40, Justine called, was offered job at Vallejo. Has to take drug test at Lompoc.

TV: News, missed Jennings.

Friday, Feb. 28, 1997

Up 8:45. Breakfast Kmart. 

Shower/hair. Library, got book.

To show, "Absolute Power." Some good, but some "holes" in story or editing.

Sunny but windy. Home 5 p.m.

Mail: Newsletter from Masonic Home.

TV: News, shootout in North Hollywood. Bank robbers, two killed, 8 officers hurt and people in area.

Bed after 10 p.m. news. Crossword.

My Grandmother's Journals: August, 1996

Grandma with my cat Maggio, who lived 20 years.

In tiny notebooks, my grandmother wrote down each day what time she woke up, where she ate breakfast, any movie she went to see, what mail and phone calls she received, then what she read and watched on TV before bed.

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, 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.

July entries.

 

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.