Fosamax

A three months supply of the drug Fosamax should be arriving most any day. It was prescribed by my rhmetalogist a year ago. The renewal date for it’s continuance is about expire. It was intended to overcome the affects of the prednisone. About three months ago the rhmetalogist recommended that I discontinue the prednisone. In a couple of months I will make a decision whether to continue with the Fosamax. The drug is ordered from Canadadrugs at a considerable discount

The Library

A trip to the library is planned for today. I enjoy going to the library and do make it their once a week. They are opening a deli and have a large courtyard to sit, read, have a coffee and a snack. A few small garden chores will complete the day.

The Getty Villa Museum

The trip to the Getty Villa Museum was a very pleasant experience. There is no way to criticize the Getty Museum. In comparing the Getty Museum and the Getty Villa Museum, in my opinion, it is this. The Getty Museum setting could be stated as being tense. The description of the Getty Villa Museum is, relaxed.
How lucky can it get to have two great institutions to enjoy, and so easily.

A second chance

Life is not one paragraph long. I considers myself a happy man looking forward to the next event. Today I have another chance to visit the Getty Villa Museum. Norma had sent a couple of tickets earlier that I was not able to use. I am sure it will be a great adventure.

The Brain

Here are some facts that I have gathered because I have been reading about Albert Einstein’s brain. Not too many people may be interested in the subject. I believe that Nicholas would be. Here are some facts.

The human brain, on average, weighs about 2.3 pounds.

The brain of the bottle noise dolphin averages about 3.4 pounds.

Albert Einstein’s brain weighed, 2.7 pounds.

I will know more when I read more.

Brain: an apparatus with which we think we think.
Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914)

The human brain is a most unusual instrument of elegant and yet unknown capacity.
Stuart Seaton

Google

Google is opening an engineering group in downtown Santa Monica. They have taken over a large building that had been some kind have and investment group. They have done a remarkable job of slightly redoing the building and making it look simple but attractive. The Google logo that is used on the Internet is the same as on the building. Googlel engineering will be a great addition to good employment in this area. It shares the block with the new Santa Monica public library. I have always had good luck using the many features of Google.

Albert Einstein

Here is something about someone who was about five-feet- six and like to hike and sail. He played the violin. And though not a great violinist, it was part of his life. That is description of Elbert Einstein. I am sure that he did better on the violin and other things than I did.

The latest book from Santa Monica public library, is Driving Mr. Albert.
It is part travelogue, part memoir, part history, part biography, and part meditation.

After reading a few chapters. I know that it is going to be one of my better books.

Birthday party

Yesterday was my neighbor, Lazio’s, 4th birthday. I was invited to be with his mother’s family and other friends in Tarzana. It was a good birthday party. Not as many children as adults. It was at what is left of an old farming site. The buildings are sagging and falling down. It has always been the owner family farm. He is a retired nurseryman so many huge old tress, and so many flower and maybe everything he and his family has ever owned, except machinery. We had a very good time.

Doing Things

This day will be filled with a number of things, none of them important. The first thing is a haircut. The second thing is coffee with. Gunther, who is visiting Marc in apt A. He is from Niagara Falls. Do my the laundry and have dinner, at The UCLA Santa Monica’s cafeteria.

Ideas

The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand.
Frank Herbert 1920 1986

I have always wondered how one person knows that another person is the person that they should be interested in, most important a person of the opposite sex. I think I could explain that phenomenon with circuits and electronic theory. Someday I’m going to try to explain the concept in a simple language that anyone could understand. It is said that if you do not understand something you cannot explain it. I believe I understand it well enough to try. There are always more things that a person should do and perhaps will ever find the time to do it.

Today's activity

Life is in unbroken succession of fateful situations.
Oscar Wilde
The projects for today are repairing the TV antenna, which at more than 15 feet over my head and balancing the checkbook, which is done with a spreadsheet on the computer. Not too difficult.

Volunteering

This is by day for volunteering at Saint John’s Medical Center, which I enjoy and at time s it may be challenging, but I have been there long ago so that I can handle situations quite easily. I enjoy the volunteering, the patients and my fellow workers.

This Monday

This should be one of those days where not much is planned, but there are some things that need to be attended to. Such as re-filing the State 2004 Tax Forms due to the trouble with the filing of 2004 Federal Tax Forms. It is just details to be taken care of, nobody will be owed money or refunds. Our government likes paperwork and must be sure they are getting enough money to keep us safe, and looking after our welfare. Some of the time I agree with them.

More on visiting +

Paul, Leslie and Nicholas left the Los Angeles area about two o’clock. Paul called just after 9 p.m. to let me know that they had a good drive going home. While they were here from Friday morning until Saturday afternoon, we did so many things and had a great time visiting.

After they left from downtown Los Angeles and while I was waiting for the bus to Santa Monica, I got a chance to see part of the 76th annual blessing of the animals by Bishop Mahoney from the Cathedral Of Our Lady of Angels, that Paul, Leslie, and Nicholas and I had just visited. The mayor of Los Angeles was also there. It was a great experience to see two cows, a huge snake, a monkey, a pig, birds, turtles and many dogs in a very long line waiting for them all to be blessed. A great experience on a lovely afternoon.

Visiting

We had a great day of visiting doing the activities at the Exposition Park and having dinner, that included Andrew. Andrew is doing very well with music schooling and learning to live independently.
Today we will nave breakfast at Snug Harbor a close by smaller and long established local restraint. We will do some sightseeing in downtown Los Angeles before they begin their drive home.

Visitings

Paul, Leslie and Nicholas will be here today and are staying overnight. A visit to the natural history Museum, exhibition hall, the Aviation Museum, and the IMAX Theater are all considered for today’s agenda. We are expecting Andrew to be with us for dinner this evening. We should have a great day.

Jules Stein Eye Institute

The Age Related Macular Degeneration discussion group meets today at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California. I will be there. The program features a retired psychiatrist professor. That should make for an interesting meeting.

A good Day

The planned for today is to be at the International House Of Pancakes this morning for breakfast, mailing the IRS tax forms, and doing some grocery shopping. That does not sound like much, but who needs much. It is going to be a beautiful day.

Lake Alpine Resort reservation

It has been done. The Jeffrey Pine cabin has been reserved for August 6 and 7 at Lake Alpine Resort. The cabin is set up for three people; so if anyone needs space let me know. The reservation is not completely confirmed until May 1st. A party who is willing to take it for a week will have priority until that date.

Emergency numbers

Telephone numbers that may be useful in an emergency to gather information about me have been requested. Here are three:
Mark Sommerfeldt 805 313 4976 (cell) apt A; Anne Buttnay 213 500 0176 (cell) apt C and Paige Murphy, who is now any miles distant but I’m sure she would wished to know if anything was amiss 310 476 2044 (home). They like most other people these days are at work during the day. I may find some others who are home is at home during the day, will let you know.

Lake Alpine has a lovely Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge, a General/Gift Store,
Public Beach, Boat Rental, Bike Rental and a Laundromat. You can bring
your own groceries or get them all at our General Store, or let our great
chef, Alan Payne, do the cooking for you!

Family Get-together +

A complete, Family-oriented Summer Resort, Lake Alpine Lodge offers
everything you'll need for a wonderful vacation! We have Bedroom
and Studio Cabins (with kitchens and housekeeping services) that
Sleeps from 3 to 7 people. Tent Cabins are available for camping.
It seems that this family get-together is coming together on August 6 for a couple of nights. So far as I know, Steven, Paul, Wayne, Carl and myself are interested in making plans. It sounds exciting.

Nicholas M. Paul called and they are planning to be here, this coming Thursday and Friday. That will be great. I have reserved for them a room at the Comfort Inn, which is within two blocks of this cottage. They will have been visiting Benjamin at the University of California at Santa Barbara and doing sightseeing down the coast from Monterey.

Computer monitor

All of the cables and connectors got the 42-inch TV monitor connected to the computer. The monitor is capable of being a display screen/monitor or/viewer for a computer. After all of the connection trouble, I find that it is not satisfactory, everything is larger, but the definition is not adequate. You have to be about five feet from the screen and the monitor is sitting on the bureau, and so it is higher that is comfortable to sit and use. All seemingly good ideas do not work.

Lake Alpine Lodgee

: "Come to these majestic mountains and relax by the crystal clear waters of Lake Alpine in the high Sierras. Fish for Rainbow Trout or hike through a pristine Alpine Meadow. Leave the stress and heat of the city behind and journey up to the shores of peaceful Lake Alpine in the Stanislaus National Forest. At 7400 feet, the air is clean and the number of stars at night appears infinite."

It does not sound like Harris Ranch. Let us know your reactions.

The same old same old

You have a great day and I will do the same.

I have Nothing new or newsy to report some days are like that. Maybe something will turn up that will be worth reporting. Just the usual is good enough for me.

Family Get-together

There is starting to be some communications concerning a family get-together this summer. The first part of August has been suggested, and it seemed like a reasonable time. The location is Lake Alpine Lodge, which is near Calaveras Big Trees Park, a good location. Let’s get it going.

An interesting discovry

The Elias Sports Bureau is the official statistician for Major league Baseball, National Football League, The National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, and the Arena Football League. They publish a book of baseball statistics every year. It was called, since 1913, The Little Red Book Of Baseball Statistic and was renamed The Elias Book Of Baseball Records in 1972.

The above is something that I had not known and am surprised that no one has mentioned such a famous collects of books. I did not know that the Elias name was prominent in the sports world.

A regular day

Nothing new or unusual is expected today. Spring has been slow to return this year. We have but getting some rains, nothing heavy and it is continuing to be cooler than normal. Not much has been affected except beach goers and sunbathers. If you look at the weather reports from almost at the other part of the country, it is almost impossible to complain about Santa Monica’s weather.

Daylight tine

Daylight saving Time does not have much effect on my daily routine. It gives me more light at the end of the day as I am returning from dinner with my Segway along the bicycle lanes. Daylight savings time seem to be one of the better ideas that our society has been using for he number of years. Farmer and families with young children seem to be the most adversely affected.

Cholesterol

The following are the results of my latest Kaiser’s cholesterol check:

LDL, the bad cholesterol, 139, the lower the better.
HDL, the good cholesterol, 31, the higher the better.
Total cholesterol, 189, the one normally reported by the Dr.
Triglcerides, 97, that is a normal level.
The results of dividing the HDL level by the total cholesterol are 6.01. Goal set by Kaiser is 5. The ideal reading is 3.51.

The above is a lot of data. Dr. Buch has not contacted me or mentions any diet or procedure for me to follow. I will wait for him to give me instructions. My idea is not to do any self-doctoring. A doctor has many patients to practice on. If I do my own, I only have one. I will continue using my common sense.