Sunday, August 9, 2026    

     I have been ignoring fire season.  No fires or smoke here in Monterey yet.  But the fires are getting closer each day. A hundred thousand men are expected to arrive, to scrutinize cars, fancy, unusual cars. It is a treat for them and for our local businesses. Some of us are staying at home to avoid the crowds. Car week lasts 10 days. The police are on alert and the city will earn traffic ticket money. A win for our local economy. I am more perplexed then annoyed with car week.

     I focus on doing household chores, making up beds, doing dishes, laundry, taking a shower. I postpone showering.  I wait for the sun’s warmth, but no, the fog is persistent. How long can I go unwashed.

     This morning two hummingbirds race through the bottle bush trees. Mostly a blur until they start working a red flower. Sounds of airplanes flying over my house.

     My roommate is gone for the weekend. The house is quiet. The fog stays through out the day. By evening I am ready to not be alone. I try out new TV shows. I can only watch a few minutes of two different stand up comedians.  Netflix has two shows I watch, THE BOMBING OF PAN AM 103 and GOOD MEDICINE, good enough shows. Later in my bedroom I continue reading SLEEPING GIANTS, a novel by Rene Denfeld. She is becoming a favorite author.

 

Saturday, August 8, 2026

     I have crooked stubby toes.  Sitting in my recliner with bare feet I see my feet clearly.  I can’t complain, they are pain free, even being 86 year old toes. I can’t always tell when I am wearing socks. So, my feet are a bit numb.

     I walk out to the mail box to pick up several days mail. Mostly for my roommate. I was going to ask my roommate to pick up the mail and then decide really it would good for me to do it. The fog is just returning in the late afternoon. We did have some sun in the afternoon.

     I took a long nap in the afternoon. I was tired. And I am moving slowly around the house.  Read a bit and scroll through facebook looking for something interesting. Babies and toddlers laughing do it for me.

     In the evening, we watch another episode of the TV series THE CAPTURE. I love it and it is the most complicated TV series I have ever seen. Takes a while to understand what is going on. I am now reading Rene Denfeld’s novel SLEEPING GIANTS. Most of the national news is on Trump’s anger at his crew and the courts.  He is losing it. But still people are afraid of his retaliation.

 

Friday, August 7, 2026

     Supposedly there is a picture on facebook of me with my brother.  I dare to disagree because the picture I have of myself in my own mind, is quite different, much more serious and smart looking, and maybe a bit thinner and younger. Who is this grinning old woman who is having such a good time at Denny’s with her wonderful brother.

     In the afternoon I get a chance to impress the golfer’s grandson with stories of our Irish ancestors. I particularly like the lurid tales from California’s gold rush years. Are they true stories? Maybe. I heard them from my older family members.  On his cell phone, the kid traces a 1950’s photo of a group of men. Facial recognition apt. Yep there is his great great grandfather, part of the gold rush family.

    Now there are 6 blooming sunflowers and dozens of tomatoes. My roommate harvests a variety of lettuces from the salad patch. The sun comes out in the afternoon warming up the house.  It is a two nap day.

     We are too busy to watch much TV. But I do sneak in half an episode of THE LAST SHIP, an older series reminding me of the cold war era shows.  War and peace, heroes and villains. Today’s political news has passed me by.