Friday, September 4, 2026    

     Out on the deck in the afternoon I watch several squirrels race along the top of the wooden fence and attack the brownish sunflowers. They are too heavy for climbing the plant.  They pull down at the plant and when the flower is near, they muscle in.  delicious sunflower seeds. They are relentless and keep at it for the whole time I am outside.

      A solitary hummingbird is working the plants on the deck, in and out of the flowers. My roommate says this hummingbird lives in the oak tree and protects his territory form other hummingbirds.

     More library books arrive in the morning. Now a tall pile on the dining room table. I find obscure book recommendations on line, and check out the library for a copy. Sunny September has arrived. I love reading the novel, THEO OF GOLDEN.

     My roommate is going on a road trip over Labor Day weekend. The TV shows we watch together will have to wait. The most serious ones are MAXIMUM PLEASURE IS GUARANTEED and TRYING. I will find new ones to watch while she is gone.  The president’s incompetent speeches are weirder now. Maybe he is acting crazy deliberately. Hard to tell, but he is fun to watch, as he struggles with words and concepts, and tells obvious lies.  He is a 1930’s comedian.

 

Thursday, September 3, 2026 

    Yesterday, up the street the water main pipe breaks.  I receive several notices. Cal Am is working on it.  Going to take 25 hours to fix.  Maybe you will not have water or maybe you will have water. Maybe your water will be brown or maybe not. Cal Am is unsure of the consequences. The city is offering us free showers at the sports center. So far my water is fine.

      We meet at my favorite public garden, Larkin house garden, surrounded by tall stone walls. The streets sounds are muted.  The garden has comfortable benches and adequate shade. A perfect place to talk with a friend.

     My friend asks me what is my problem with walking. Not my sore knee, I think it is my eyes. I have distance glasses for driving and watching TV and another set of glasses for reading.  Neither are good for walking. My brain hasn’t adjuster to walking with glasses. I am afraid of falling and use my cane to get around. Not sure how to solve this.

     I am liking the novel, THEO OF GOLDEN even if it is an unbelievable story. Lots of kindness. When I am alone, I watch Britbox’s BLUE LIGHTS series about the police in Belfast. So much pain and crime in the story. A compelling series for me.  Canada has officially renamed the San Andreas Fault to “Donald Trump’s Fault.” Geologists objected at first, but then admitted pretty much everything eventually becomes Donald Trump’s fault anyway.

 

 Wednesday, September 2, 2026

     A month ago, I call the MOW number and talked to a pleasant woman who looks up my file.  I asked to increase meals delivery to 5 days a week. I wait and nothing happens. I make up stories in my mind, about why I am still only getting 3 meals a week.  My fault, their fault, the stars’ fault. A month later I call again and make the same request.  The stars are on my side this time and I am now getting 5 meal deliveries a week.

     An old friend comes by in the morning and we discuss life and difficulties. Death and dead bodies. The usual talk between old people when young people aren’t around. Young people talk about sex and we talk about dying.

     The house cleaners come every two weeks.  The same couple have been helping me for years. It feels like magic when they leave and my house is back to a familiar order.

     I start reading a friend’s copy of the novel, THEO OF GOLDEN. At first I am not sure I am going to stick with it.  By page 80 I am committed. My favorite TV show now is the Australian series, THE AIRPORT CHAPLAIN. I like other shows but when I am alone, I return to this one. We are bombing Iran again. Europe is having a killing heat wave, floods and fires are rampant. I want to blame it all on our incompetent president.