Shots from the Lip

Both yesterday and today I was out of the house closer to 8:30am than 8am.  It was sunny.  It was warm.  It was a slow but pleasant ride down to Ocean Avenue and my left and then right turns to the beach bicycle paths.  Two to three days a week.......with the realization that sooner than I hope, there'll be the reality of age, fitness and capability to doing this.........but as with everything else, I'll do until I can no longer do.......such is life...... More picture taking today.....and perhaps a Linkedin passage vis a vis 37 years ago, today.......I was with hunger strikers at the center of Tiananmen Square......and then I left for Chengdu - and I was there on 4 June........an eye witness to history.......... Those who do not learn from history are simply going to repeat it - that happens.  How can China learn when freedom of information has been suppressed and now, 37 years later, no one really knows anymore..............? 

I've been avoiding confrontation with the real issue - in order to make any progress at anything, it is necessary to apply oneself to that task...............I have to play the piano more......and start playing the harmonica and.....hopefully at some stage, pick up the accordion!   Wishful thinking?  Probably.....but I will do something about it....... It was 13 degrees C, outside this morning.  Yeah, not really cold but  it was difficult getting up from the comfort of down blankets and no 'forced' awakening because of classes.   Still, I did go out to NY Bagel for breakfast, followed by CVS for pharmaceuticals and home to set today's agenda.   It is going to rain tonight if the forecast is to be believed..... I'm going to do the free Big Mac tonight as dinner prior to my weekly Sweet Dreams volunteer work at St Johns tonight........but with a chance of rain and continuing low temperatures, I'll keep a sweatshirt on, underneath the volunteer ...

 Saturday night TianTian and I went to the in-concert performance of Act II of Die Walkurie at the Disney with Dudamel conducting.  We sat in my 'usual' season ticket seat for the 8 Friday morning series for this one.  Then, Sunday, we sat up above, in the terrace section where there was a great, panoramic view of the orchestra and front of the hall but far away from the sub-titles which, fortunately, I really did not need for Act III.  Wonderful music in an acoustically superior venue but where vision is required, there is something lacking......ah well.....I know this opera - I've seen it at least 10 times in my life........and I do hope to see it again. On Saturday, we did a restaurant in the Emerson, across from the Broad.  I had rack of lamb.  Last night at Fia Steak, walking distance from home in Santa Monica, I had beef Wellington.  Today, Katherine, TianTian and I do a Michelin starred Chinese restaurant in Temple City.  Tomorrow I diet.

 It was sunny outside when we got up. I wore my Moncler vest over a Brooks Brothers long-sleeved shirt and a black thermal long-sleeved under shirt....and it was too hot on my way home after the walk. Soon I have to get my ass in gear and do some research and writing regarding the answering of my violation by the City of Santa Monica re the trees......but before that, long-hand writing in my hybrid diary.    That'll be it for today....onwards to the diary!

SimpliSafe appears to be  complexly sensitive:  The alarm went off because there was some motion outside.  What motion?  Who the hell knows.....but it did force us up earlier than we had anticipated and it was, per chance, one of those rare early mornings - the sun was out and it was already warm enough not to totally bundle up prior to my early morning walk! There were only 2 Trader Joe's cashiers open as I was third on line.... The alarm went off again as I came home.  This time I entered the PIN and it went off.  Why it responded this time and not previous times I'll never know. It is going to be quite comfortable out this afternoon - time to alter plans and take advantage of being out later on today.......an early Big Mac lunch (for free since I have monthly coupons) and then a photo shoot this afternoon???? Let us see.....

 Fast food?   Ha! Our local Mickey D, 3 blocks away, newly refurbished and set up for automation in a neighborhood where it appears that no one wants automation, they prefer a real live cashier/order taker, it took 23 minutes after I got my time stamped receipt of purchase for the guys in back to do the order and bring it up front.......fast??????? And yet, with the bargain items added to the nearly a full meal for two Big Breakfast, we paid a bit over $15 for a very big, add to life routine once a month  meal.....welcome back to our lives McDonalds.....we used to go from GZ to HK through GZ East station on a monthly basis, stopping at the station McDonalds for an early breakfast (before indulging in breakfast # 2 on board the train dining car).

 I MUST PRACTICE PIANO TODAY......EVEN IF FOR JUST A BIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why have I been putting this off? Frankly, I have, in essence, been in a long-term procrastination-like malaise with little intention of changing.......hey, I like being lazy, doing nothing! Today, though, I intend to change things....time to get off my ass and be productive....... But will I??????????????????????

I'm in bed earlier.....I got out of bed later, this morning.  I was up to pee too damned often.  Yeah, of course I toked a couple of times after peeing.  Anyway, without any school this morning and with an 11am volunteer job for the two of us at the Foundation Office of St John's Hospital, I put on the jacket (not the vest) and walked to get the SM Daily Press freebee prior to breakfast. Will the sun come out later today?  Who the hell knows!  It is now 10:21am and 'it feels like' 63 degrees.  It is colder inside our home - I should move the vent direction to get more heat when the heater is on.  Operavore is on.  Later I will watch the condensed Dodger-Giants game from yesterday....and play piano.......and sketch........ 

 Katherine called out:  'Larry, come here and look - this is an emergency'.  Was it a bank robbery?  Was there a police chase?  I'd assume so since we are Santa Monica and SMPD territory, not LAPD.  Regardless, we had Jose and more installation work for our home security unit and less than 10 minutes later 23d Street was blocked off and 4 policemen, guns in hand, were on our street. We'll find out what happened in the news - helicopter is gone but police are still here.   And the day will have to get back to 'normal' ? Oh......we heard a real interesting rumor today:  That not only will UCLA buy out St Johns Hospital but our entire block will eventually be bought out by the city to build a parking structure........hey, that makes sense!   Consider the possibilities..............

 We have a bank meeting at 10am today.    True, it was cold out this morning but it'll be 26C today so I am dressed a bit more lightly than I'd have otherwise chosen clothes for this morning. Yesterday I saw Falstaff at the Music Center.  This was the best opera of the season.  I loved the performance!  I chose to use a transdermal patch with 22.5% THC.......pleasant buzz throughout the performance. This morning's bank meeting could probably be held by email but hey, it is going to be a nice day and the two of us have a nice chance to get out together........ It is now 8:24am and the temperature outside is 17C - it'll go up to 26 today.......it's about time for a higher temperature outside!

 a) Will it help? b)  If it helps, what will it help? c)  If it does not help, does it do anything? d)  Haven't I got anything better to  do than write these things? O.K.  so here it is, mid-morning on a Saturday.  I slept a tad bit later than usual this morning and am happy that, if nothing else, I got in a pretty decent morning ride whilst the weather truly sucked.  Will I go out again tomorrow?  I doubt it - I'm charging my bike now.  It'll be ready for the entire weekend, next week.  Tomorrow I'll leave in time to get to Abernethy's in the Music Center Plaza by noon - just in case the seat occupant next to me shows up for lunch.  I was able to make a 12:15 lunch reservation for 3 of us:  the two season ticket seat occupants next to me for tomorrow's Falstaff........regardless, either two or three of us will dine (and wine?) prior to the 2pm matinee.

 I was talking with patients past my 'usual' Thursday night quitting time and thus, slept in, comfortably, without a worry about getting up late......and although the weather out this morning, still sucked, it was a couple of degrees warmer than that past few days and a Friday late morning, lousy weather ride along the beach, in my solitude, was, in a word, WONDERFUL!!! The big task at hand today was writing an email, in detail, to the UK-based owner of the two floor # 105 at 2311 Shader.  He wants higher trees - as we do - not the 12 foot ordinance-type that, in essence, would kill our mature trees.  I wrote the 2+ page email - with attachment - that Katherine edited and approved........ Save our trees! Once upon a time I had tremendous success writing letter upon letter to Inland Revenue in Hong Kong, reaching success more often than not in wearing down the ability to cope with 'foreign tongue correspondence with a few dictionary searches included.  Is this how to ...

There were 8 attendees for the Novel class at the Emeritus Building this morning:  me and seven women.   For the remainder of the semester (which ends mid-June - 6 more classes) we'll be into Catch 22.  I've completed 42% of my re-read, thus far.  Yeah, I'll complete the book and then go to Heller's sequel, Closing Time. Thursday we go to City Hall regarding our trees - we are in violation because they've not been trimmed....but we believe we are eligible for exceptions based upon mature growth trees.....we'll see what happens......... 

 How nice to wake up and see sun!  Of course it is still cold out - some May:  only 16C out but if feels lower than that.  Regardless, the morning walk was nice and I do plan to get out more!  Tonight at 5pm there is a free screening of a movie at the Main Campus of Santa Monica College - I will go for this.  Tomorrow is school - and after, perhaps a movie??? I'm going to keep on writing bits and pieces in this blog every day (if possible).  But I am also going to start posting, by hand, in the Moleskin 'hybrid' pad.  That's where I will write that which I don't want to commit to computer..........it'll be far more interesting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The sun might just make it out today.....it is trying, now.........weather has been lousy thus far this morning, with my normal bike route screwed up somewhat today because of a marathon that police had blocked off streets involved. I will have an early lunch and then go to a 1pm concert at the Broad Stage of Santa Monica College.  This is a big band concert and I hope that it proves to be an interesting alternative to usual activities......it is time to watch events at Santa Monica College a bit more closely because daytime activities, especially, are what I need to get involved with. 

 What an absolutely shitty day to be out bicycle riding!  There was no sun.......it was cold......it was windy......the beach benches I like to sit at and ponder the world were all taken today.....dammit! Here it is, 11:14am and I finished the morning mail and set up for today......Of course I had great intentions to write today.....but upon getting ready to do this, my ideas wandered and I lost immediate interest....... I do have reading to do today - got to stay up on things......and tomorrow I really have to finish the heavy load I set for myself today.....sorry but rather than explain what I have to do today, I'm just going to go ahead and do it......and perhaps, just perhaps, I'll sketch and write in my newest attempt at a diary.......

 I went to Best Buy:  their Geek Squad could not remedy the difference in the Kobo app on the iPad mini that needed to coordinate with both the Kobo reader of my iPhone and Amazon Fire......ah well, at least I can still partially use that ancient iPad that simply refuses to die!!! SimpliSafe  sells systems. They 'simpli' contract with outside installers.  We asked for complete set up and teaching us how to properly use the system - we were willing to pay.....but to get to that point took hours more than it should have....... The 3d Floor lunatic at 2311 Shader 'forced' a tree trimming violation upon us....we're fighting it......sadly another example of what the culture here leaves to be desired......such is life?