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Family

Charles

Charles used to call me every 2-3 months at whichever outpost I was living in (Silicon Valley, etc.) to tell me a joke. The jokes were always racist to the core and many dirty beside. I ALWAYS cracked up and then chewed him out for his racist humor. He had a way…

 

Carlsbad

I’d like to give you an idea of life at 74 and 88 in our little home in Carlsbad: I generally rise at 6 AM, watch Morning Joe while completing cleaning of the kitchen, then make coffee and my breakfast which often is a $0.50 fruit pie from Walmart. Trish usually rises later and has a yogurt/fruit/flax combo. We have a wonderful woman who walks Dudley several mornings a week. 

 

I go to “Light Exercise” classes at the Y three mornings a week - if you saw us moving to music you would swear we were dancing. I am one of three or four males who performed again for the class before Christmas as ”Les Danseurs” to rave reviews… 

 

We generally lunch at home, nap, walk Dudley again before enjoying a Scotch (Trish) or gin & tonic (me) before dinner which each of us prepares. We watch the news and a recorded TV program or movie before bed by 10ish.

 

We don’t go out to eat as much as Trish would like but have settled on several local restaurants that we like. We enjoy excellent local theatre and movies.

 

We spend more time with the medical establishment thane would like but have aligned with several excellent doctors to treat our various health issues.

 

We miss family and friends in the Bay Area but have made several friends here and are so fortunate to have Trish’s sister Gina's and my son Steve’s family nearby.

 

My 90th Birthday Celebration

August 7, 2020; Updated April 12, 2022:

 

I made it! But 90 isn’t very different from 89….I decided on an extended celebration at the height of the pandemic. On and around July 19th, 2020, I enjoyed moving in style  to my 10th decade.

 

The Panamatorte party Ingrid & Gordon Benirschke-Perkins gave me kicked off a week-long celebration. A panamatorte is an extraordinary dessert where Ingrid has a monopoly.

 

Tuesday night was spent with my men’s group (The Goodfellas); we had a great time telling lies and drinking wine. 

 

Then on Saturday evening, our weekly neighborhood block party (Groupelo el Tupelo) gave me a fabulous barbeque. We met (& they still do) every warm Saturday afternoon in the driveway of neighbors Karen Daniels/George Benson to share cocktails and tales.

 

All of the above were properly physically, but certainly not, socially, distanced.

 

The birthday conclusion was on the big day, Sunday, July 19: we had 2 long direct-family Zoom calls and enjoyed the cheese boxes and Champagne that Trish had purchased for each participant. My big birthday was also called out during our Zoom church service.

 

Our friend Anne Ream arranged for a citation for me in the US House of Representatives and got it! It is included in this program.

 

Sunday night Trish and I were both exhausted…..but happy.

 

All in all, there celebration was wonderful and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

 

I do not think it could have been any better during ”normal” times.

 

April 12, 2022:

 

Well, we had more or less the same type of celebration for my 91st birthday, starting a few weeks ago and marked by several events, which was concluded by a family reunion here, put off from last year, from August 19th to the 24th. All of our direct family were here and we had a very pleasant time celebrating multiple birthdays which fell generally around this time of year. 

 

But this was really a reunion for all and not focused on me. I found it easier and more pleasant. And I learned that henceforth it would not be necessary to celebrate birthdays on one day.  Henceforth, it will be birthmonth celebrations! Thanks, Covid! 

 
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