Went to the sport's center close to noon today. I now can bicycle 20 minutes at one time. I struggle with boredom as I sit on the machine with my legs going around and around.

Lately I have been trying to be inspired to buy real gym clothes but I find no role models that I like. This is not a fancy place.

I have found lots of tattoos that I like. Maybe that is the right direction.

Bought myself a box of see's candy this morning. Had a difficult meeting on Sunday and was feeling down. Noticed this huge Brink's armored truck stopping at the stores to pick up something. I suspect money. Del Monte Shopping Center must of had a good retail weekend after thanksgiving.

the chocolates taste wonderful.

Went to a memorial service for a person I have known for many years. I have reached age of funerals and memorial service. Friends and acquaintances are dying and at some point my time will be up and everyone will gather to talk about me. I hope they will have some funny things to say and everyone will laugh. this memorial was full of tears and laughter.

Sat by the ocean at noon. A rain storm had blown in in the morning. Some shards of sunlight. The ocean was calm, no waves at all. Some wind ripples and cloud shadows but no crashing waves.

I could hear the crunching of shoes on the path while I sat in my car.

I went to dinner with some friends in Carmel Valley tonight. I had to remind them that I am an hour and half person. I love socializing for one and a half hours and then I am ready to go home. I don't know how to just hang out anymore. So by 7pm I was on the road back to my home. Had a great time.

I did it. I went up to my son's house by passing the 40 steps. It was good to spend thanksgiving with them. I had a quiet morning. I sat outside in the sun wearing a warm jacket. It still is very cold here.

Now there are left overs in my refrigerator for tomorrow. Turkey, potatoes, cranberry sauce, pie, gravy, all waiting for tomorrow.

cold,cold morning. Up early to start up the heater and then back to bed until the room begins to warm up. Frost on the neighbor's roofs but the plants look OK.

I sleep so well in this cold weather.

Spent the morning doing erronds. Went to Jiffy to have oil changed in car, had fliers copied at Copy King, rode the stationary bike at the gym, Took soem fliers to the Cherry center, went to library, met a friend for lunch.

A quiet afternoon at home listening to the rain and reading.

Met my friend at the Alternative Cafe this morning to write together. I had never been there before. It is so strange, just two tables, a couple of chairs, a not busy coffee maker, an art gallery, a business office. A couple of guys on their computers.

what is their business mode?. How do they make money. My perennial question.

I am definitely missing something.

They sold three cups of coffee during the hour an half we were there and two of them were to us.

I am going to have to stop asking people about their business plans. They get uncomfortable trying to explain how they make money.

My friend and I meet at Juice and Java this afternoon to write. We have never written on a Sunday afternoon. We both are lethargic and dull. Rainy Sunday afternoons do not promote good writing unfortunately. Well we will go back to morning writing.

Went to see the movie FAIR GAME at the Osio this afternoon. Very well done movie and I left so sad thinking about the corruption in the white house and the Iraq war.
Then my friends and I went to the Full Moon restaurant and had a great meal in spite of the sadness of it all.

Maybe sadness is the wrong word, I feel helpless about our country being at war.

It's cold and dark outside and I am bored with TV and reading and it's too early to go to bed and it's cold and dark. Every year I am surprised by the darkness and have to redesign my life to fit into the life in the dark.

I think it must be colder and darker in Minnesota where my siste is staying the winter.

I have discovered another fabulous book, HOW TO LIVE, a life of Montaigne by Sarah Bakewell. It is part biography and part commentary on his essays. I am completely captivated by this book. Such a treat.

Went to Super Cuts on Alvarado Street this morning to get my hair cut. It had been many months and I was looking pretty shaggy. Now I am trim and neat and my back is itchy with pieces of cut hair. I won't have to return until 2011.

From the dentist chair this morning I could see the Monterey Graveyard across El Estero Lake. I started thinking about the various relatives buried there and that I will be buried there too.

Death seemed easier to think about then the poking and scraping of my teeth.

Today I just felt discouraged. It is so difficult to walk. Will it ever become easier. The physical Therapist was kind and listened to my complaints and made some suggestions. I can start taking 5 minutes walks on an even surfaces.
It just takes a long time to heal one's body.

Another beautiful day in Monterey. Sat at San Carlos Beach in my webbed chair overlooking the beach. Birds, kids, divers, boats. Sunday afternoon in the sun. Wish I could have walked more on the coast guard pier, maybe next week.

Had a leisurely phone conversation with my sister in Minnesota. She was sitting in front of a fire watching the snow come down. I was sitting in my living room with the door wide open to let in the warm sunlight,

Went to the sports center this afternoon to do my bicycle riding. I wonder if it helps. I can't tell if I am getting better. I am enjoying my handicap card for my car.

The California Motor vehicles sent me my disabled plague for my car. I thought I would never get it. Next time I will listen to my brother and have AAA help me with it. Maybe there will be no next time. I am walking slowly today.

We had a lunch time budget meeting for the Zen Center. We sat out side on the back porch of the cherry Center in the dappled sun and shade. We went over budget items and talked about ways of raising money. In this beautiful weather nothing seemed impossible.

I am still reluctant to watch the news hour. the political news bores me maybe because my guys didn't win. It would be a relief to just stop caring.

Spent the morning at a workshop on Alzheimer's disease. Now that is another sad topic. It doesn't seem to run in our family yet.

Sun is out and the ocean is wonderful.

Didn't get out of bed until daylight. What a treat for the sun to becoming up an hour earlier. then I had to get ready for the house cleaner.

Met with some friend at Pino's at the Custom house plaza for a couple of hours of writing. And then back home for a nap. Must be tired.

Went to see the new Woody Allen movie yesterday. YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER. I think that was the name. The vusals were wonderful but the story was too sad, beautiful people fighting and betraying each other. I am tired of that theme. Surely there is something else besides a romance gone sour.

Some days I just don't want to do what I should be doing. So I futz around doing nothing and complaining to myself that I am not doing anything on my list. I have made a big dent in a library book so that should count for something. I guess.

This morning at the sports center I started looking around to see what the women were wearing. No one but me had on jeans, they all wore some shinny pants. Suddenly I became self conscious and wondered where I could buy the right outfit. I no longer feel invisible now that I am going 3 times a week.

Thursday my day begins at 5am. NO it is early evening and I can hardly move. I just want to go to bed. I can hear the sea lions barking in the bay. And still the crashing of the waves.
It is time for bed now.

Another warm fall day. It is so deceptive. We need rain but we aqre being seduced by warm sunshine.

Met my friend Tasha at coffee this morning at the Paris Bakery. My son and two grandchildren showed up and we all talked and laughed. They are at a delightful age and I guess Tasha and I are at delightful age..

the bifg contest this week was the Giants vs the Rangers. the Giants won. It's hard to get excited about the elections. I think the tea party is winning and who wants that. The baseball game seemed so much clearer and to the point.

Maybe we should have giant games for our elections rather then all the mail and advertisements and sound bites and rally's. Surely there has to be a better way.

a group of us have lunch together on Mondays. We have been meeting for many years. We used to go to restaurants and now we meet in each others homes. We are getting older but still passionate about politics and local news and movies.

Today we met at my house.