Moving +

I checked a rental property that was called to my attention by Lisa and Gary. The Lindbrook Manor has a good location but it is an older development and so no elevators but stairs. It is not wise to move to a place without handicap facilities, and especially if one owns a Segway.

On my return a stopped at the Hammer Museum to view the Undiscovered Country exhibit. It was good. I like galleries and usually find something that I wish I had. It almost inspires me to get a blank canvas and the paint and something. I am not an artist but feel after I have seen good art as if I could paint something that I would like.

Excellence

With regard to excellence, it is not enough to know but we must try to have and use it.
Aristotle

Rain

Lots of rain. The rain is to continue.

Appraisers

If it is of any use, here are two licensed appraisers. I have not been able to come up with a figure as to what a sale price of these condo have been selling for, They seem to so variable. Realtor’s suggestions may want to be checked.

American Real Estate Appraisal 310 202 0170 and Appraisal Express 310 541 3428.

Condo

Some rain is due. Since it is near January it is to be expected.

A lot of things have been going through my mind. Carl is planning to buy a home in Napa that is as it should be. I have had it my mind that if they sold, or maybe even before they sold, that I would move to a studio apartment in this area. I really do not need a living room. Steven called and explored the idea of the family buying this unit as an investment; real estate is a good investment. I do not think a real estate holding at a distant location is not such a good idea. He may have had in his mind that I would not like to move. A move for me to a smaller unit would be of an economic value to me as secure invests pay such low interest rates and that move would aid in my monthly cash flow. This is just the starting of ideas and I am sure that we will consider all them all. The main thing is to get Carl his money in a timely manner. I have a number of easy options and am flexible.

Life

Not s shred of evidence exits in favor of the idea that life is serious.
Breden Gill

Life

Not s shred of evidence exits in favor of the idea that life is serious.
Breden Gill

Life

Not s shred of evidence exits in favor of the idea that life is serious.
Breden Gill

Christmas Eve

This is about the 1st year that I have not been at the UU Church for the Candle Light Service on Christmas Eve. A neighbor, Paige, invited me for dinner with her, Brent her boy friend, her mother and aunt and the aunts son and wife. It was good to be with the family and at a great dinner. Not much unusual goes on today to celebrate Christmas. The weather is lovely and I will spend some time at the garden.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth called to let me know that she and Nancy are doing well. She is pleased that she is not in Minnesota as they have experienced some sever winter weather. Yesterday the temperature in Southern Minnesota was -12 for a low and 2 for a high. Aunt Anola is to have both of her knees operated on just after the 1st of the year. We can all hold her in our thoughts. The operations that they are doing are working out well and the recovery, am sure, is not that easy. Most surgeries are done so differently than in the past.
Merry Christmas!

Moving

There has been an interesting change of events.. Carl and Joan are doing the right thing and are planning to buy a home in Napa.
I have been checking the craiglist.org for apartments, studios and rooms for rent and have found a surprising number listed. Yesterday I visited three separate places and I will continue to search. The location is of utmost importance. I would like to stay as close as possible to the number of people that I know or of those recognize me. Getting closer to Kaiser would have an advantage.
Life is always interesting and a challenge is an important part of it.

Eating Out

Today was the 1st day in a long time that I cooked a simple dinner for myself. It was not as good as the dinners at St Johns or at UCLA Santa Monica. Also eating with friends is much more satisfactory. I am sure that the variety of foods is far greater at those places.

Winter Equinox

Today or tomorrow will be the shortest day of year. This day is the winter equinox. It is also called the 1st day of winter. I would like it to be observed as the 1st day of spring. A reason being that the days start getting longer, not shorter. It is a time for new thinking about the coming year, birth of new ideas. I believe that in the past they consider the 1st of spring coinciding with the new growth of flora. That would seemed logical when the world was mostly agrarian but so few of us are now. Let’s get the 1st day of spring be when we are through with the days growing shorter and we are looking forward to more light and the hope of better and brighter times.

The Day After The Party

It was a great party. It was good to see so many of the neighbors that we had known for so many years. Everyone helped to makde the party a success.

The trip work well enough for me. I miss a couple of chances to get on flights but I am pleased to see that United is flying all their planes full.

I will be at St Johns for my regular volunteering.

Party Day

I will off in few minutes to start the trip to San Bruno. I expect to most of you there.

Paery Day

I will off in few minutes to start the trip to San Bruo. I excpect to see most of you there. We will have a great time.

Paery Day

I will off in few minutes to start the trip to San Bruo. I excpect to see most of you there. We will have a great time.

32 Years In California Party

The trip to San Bruno tomorrow is planned. There are three flights that can be used starting at 8:40 and ending at 12:50 that can be used. So even if United is busy one of those should have a seat for me. The flight to return at 6:20 seems the best idea. I do not know who all will be there but it should be a good visit.

Joan and Amber

Joan and Aidan are visiting today. It will be nice to have them.

Not much else that is different is planed.

Famiy

Family isn't about whose blood you have. It's about who you care
about.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, South Park, Ike's Wee Wee, 1998

Christmas Busyness

This Christmas season is becoming busy. UCLA at Santa Monica is having their Christmas party tomorrow and the cafeteria cashier says that us regular dinners are invited. Saint John’s is having theirs on Thursday. Norma called to announce the house party this weekend and would like being there. Joan and Aidan will be in this area starting on Wednesday and will be here on Friday. This is a good bit of activity to make the season jolly.

Birthday

The 17th is Wayne’s birthday. It so close to Christmas and I often think that so much activity is going on at this time of the year that some of the significant of it is neglected. His grandmother and grandfather were with us soon after he was born. Grandfather left for home before Christmas. It was the only time that they anyone of our Minnesota family had been at our home for Christmas. That is just another reason that makes his birthday something special.

Christmas Lights

Last evening I did a bus trip with a friend to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills to see the Christmas lighting. Part of the display was 20 Baccart crystal chandeliers valued at close to $50,000, $1,000.000 total. each are used as a street light for the Drives three block stretch. The French Company installed them for $500,00, no cost to Beverly Hills. They will be returned to Baccart after the 1st of year. Each chandelier contains 750 to 1000 multifaceted hand-blown or poured beads. They were spectacular but the decorated store windows were the best attraction.

Visitors

Pail and Benjamin took off for Grass Valley early this morning. We had a great weekend of going to the Exhibition Park and seeing the full human body inside and out without skin with all mussels, blood vessel, bone and organs and more all exposed and in place and explained. We learned a lot. The evening performance at UCLA of the Annual Holliday Concert was outstanding. It is good to have company.

Paul and Benjamin

Paul Benjamin arrived and to day we will be going to the Exhibition Park. This evening we plan to be at UCLA for The Annual Holliday Concert.

Curiosity

The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.
Dorothy Parker

Looking forward to the visit this evening of Paul and Benjamin.

Thrift Store

It is my custom to stop at the Goodwill Thrift Store on my weekly trip to the library. Yesterday I found an alarm clock radio to that had all the features that I have been searching for in electronic stores and full sized George Forman grill. Some days are better in thrift stores than others. Full price on the two items $16.00. They are both the same as new.

Paul and Benjamin

Paul and Benjamin will be here starting on Friday evening. We will have a great time. They expect to drive home on Sunday. Benjamin has finished his first section of his schooling at the University of California at Santa Barbara. He does very well with is studies. He will return to school after the 1st of the year, so that he will have some time to spend and to enjoy his break.

We have been getting rain.

Chocolate Clusters

I am still enjoying my experiences with semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips); that is, with almonds, cashews and pecans. I have been making some good nut clusters and have the procedure refined to a few simple steps. The results are very good.

Swiss

Nick and I decided not to travel yesterday to the Swiss Dinner in Whittier. He drives but it is 30 miles each way and thought that it was not worth the risk.
Thinking about where we lived and I realize that my life had ties to Swiss people. My great grandfather is buried in a Swiss cemetery in Berne Minnesota. My aunt Eva married a Schettly, very Swiss. Joe married Virginia who parents were Swiss. So I have a cousin, Dorothy Karlin, who has some Swiss ancestor. You have cousins, Joe and Virginia five children, with Swiss ancestor. We lived around Pine Island, Minnesota the cheese center of Minnesota where there were many small cheese factories and the cheese makers were almost all Swiss. INTERSTING!

Swiss Club

This afternoon Nick Uebersax and I will be at a Swiss Club in Wittier for a dinner. Nick is a fellow volunteer for St Johns and is from Switzerland and visits there for a month or so each year. I will be interesting.

Patient's Move

This afternoon I will be at St Johns to help with the patient move to The North Pavilion 2nd floor. The duties for this assignment will include greeting visitors, answering questions, assist with way finding and restricting visitors to Waiting Rooms. I am glad to be of help.

Knowledge

The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something that we do not understand.
Frank Herbert.

Dr. Rosen

The Kaiser visit with the ophthmologist Dr. Rosen was interesting in that the left eye seems to have stabilized or maybe just a bit better. I will be back to see him in six weeks. There is a new medicine that is about to approved by the FDA that treats my type of macular degeneration. I read up on it on the Internet and it seems like it would does some good in halting the deterioration and even undo some damage.

Tuesday

Yesterday I spent a little while in the garden getting rid of a few weeds. Then I went on to Ralph’s for a pastry, completed a crossword puzzle and a cup of coffee. In the afternoon I went bus to a thrift store that was on my way to the library. Then to dinner at the Santa Monica Hospital cafeteria and then walked the about nine blocks home. I got a number of books on tape and find “Monsignor Quixote by Graham Green almost as much fun as the Cervantes “Don Quixote”.