Saturday, January 17, 2026

     Saturday morning, some clouds in the sky. Some sunshine. What do I want to do today. Heater is on. What don’t I want to do today. So many decisions.

     I make a car appointment with a mechanic who works on old Hondas. My Honda element is 18 years old with 70,000 miles on it. This is a simple car with a key and few or maybe no computer chips. Need to check the cranky starter and the tires my daughter thinks are worn out. Also a general check up of all its systems.  I fear the car will fail when I am driving. The tall man is taking the car in on Monday morning. Time to rebuild trust in this old car.

     I lost my library card. Today I plan to go to the library to ask for a new one. Shouldn’t be a problem but frequently everything is a problem. A bunch of books are waiting for me. My personal librarian is on vacation in South America.

     My roommate is back. We watch the Britbox series called CHANGE. A comedy about middle aged men and women. It is actually quite good. It doesn’t sound like it would be good, but it is.  I am reading IMPOSSIBLE OWLS, essays by Brian Phillips, another surprisingly interesting book. The first essay is about the IDITAROD TRAIL SLED DOG RACE in Alaska.

 

Friday, January 16, 2026

     Early morning chain saws are working in the neighborhood. I look out the window to see which trees are targeted. Nope, can’t tell. The sun begins to warm up the day.  I am alert for the MOW volunteer with my day’s supply of meals. Five days a week, meals arrive. Some days I wonder if I deserve home delivered meals, more food than I can usually eat.

    While standing at the open door waiting for the volunteer with the food bag to come up the stairs I check out the neighborhood trees. Again.  Several very tall old pine trees and a bunch of sturdy oak trees.  The buzz saw continues but I still don’t know which trees are targeted.

     The tall man comes for a visit.  He points out, it is not just chain saws, but also wood chippers. I have to listen carefully to distinguish the sounds. When he leaves, he takes out the bags of trash and garbage to the bins.

     In the evening, the plane crash doesn’t happen but it could have. I receive several texts from my daughter saying the plane from Phoenix is being diverted from Monterey airport because of landing gear failure. Better crash response equipment at San Francisco airport. They land safely and the passengers are being put up in a hotel and will be taken to Monterey in the morning. She says she is fine. I am still a bit agitated. I usually fear exposure to COVID on airplane flights, not crashes.

 

  Thursday, January 15, 2026  

     My secret pleasure is playing solitaire on my computer while listening to classical music on the radio. My skills are improving. It is a game of focus and awareness of the cards and opportunity. I am winning more games.    

     A friend of many years shows up for a visit on Wednesday. We haven’t talked since before the COVID epidemic. I have so much to say to him, leaving little space for him to talk.  We worked together for decades. He is always busy and in a hurry.  This visit is spacious and we keep smiling at each other. Maybe he will return for another visit.

    Finally, the days are warming up.  Birds are out in force in the front yard.  Spring is about to burst forth with the fruit tree blossoms. Nights and early mornings are still cold.

     I watch a new masterpiece theater series, THE BOOKISH. British mystery, set in London after World War 11. I really like the first episode. I continue to read the same books. I am restless and keep making lists of house work to do and then forgetting to do them or maybe just avoiding them.