Thursday, June 25, 2026

     I am nervous about heat waves. The European heat waves scare me.  Usually, I am complaining about the daily fog here. I sit in my room this morning wearing my puffer jacket.  But I know the heat will come later in the summer. I wilt in the heat.

     A neighbor came by to talk about the water damage to his house.  His house is downhill from me.  Have I have done anything to contribute to his flooding?  I explain to him that everyone on this hill struggles with a rising water table during rainy season. I have struggled with water damage for 55 years. Cal Am crews are currently digging up our street to fix some leaks. I have no magic answers for him.

     My personal librarian arrives with a bag of books that were on hold for me. Always exciting to get more books. Books and friends create a good life. Tomato plants and sunflower plants are thriving in the back yard. My roommate is a skilled farmer.

     I watch two new series in the evening, SUGAR, a strange detective story and PATIENCE, another police show. Both are satisfying with the first episode. I also watch THE NEWS HOUR with NPR. The president is in freefall, I think. or maybe I just want to see him fail spectacularly.

 

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

     I wake up with an itchy eye lid. I keep rubbing it and it keeps itching. Time to take another allergy pill. Foggy cool morning. My roommate leaves early and the house is mine this morning.

     I am struggling with doing my daily exercises this week.  A familiar stubbornness comes up and I have to argue with myself. Maybe it is time for a time out. A mental health day like my kids would take during the school year. If I knew I had one free day a month would life be better.

     My roommate found a free metal table and six chairs on facebook.  She straps them to the roof of her car and drives home. Now they sit by the potato patch in the back yard. I am amazed.

     Sitting in my car waiting for my roommate I listen to podcasts. This time a podcast about bladder cancer treatments. Always checking for new treatments and to monitor the treatments I am getting. Bladder cancer is unpredictable. All good so far. I am now reading volume 4 of Solvej Balle’s seven book series ON THE CALCULATION OF VOLUME. The final three books are being translated from Danish and should be out soon, I hope. An intriguing, refreshing novel with lots of new ideas.

 

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

     According to the New York Times obituaries, people who die in their 90’s die of nothing. No cause of death is given, just old age, or the causes might be too grim to share.  Maybe dying of nothing is a good way to go. I have 4 years to go to reach death with no cause.

     It always takes me a couple of days to recover from big events, like watching soccer games and eating carrot cake.  I am just about fully there.  Still the naps keep calling at me.

     A young friend brings a tasty Elroys salad for lunch at my home. Of course, we talk on and on about our lives. She has to return to work and I have to take a nap.

     My most anticipated movie will start streaming this week on prime.  Yep, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES. I had been challenging friends to watch it with me for my birthday, but my birthday is passed.   And now they are free from that obligation. we watch two episodes of YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS in the evening. Why do I like this dark show so much. So cynical, such beautiful houses and cringy difficult people. I start reading Elly Griffiths new detective novel, THE FROZEN PEOPLE.  Ok so far.