First Forty

Today we started to set-up the things for the foods (on Friday for the dinner).

Yumi goes to San Francisco with Ted to watch Chinese New Year celebrations; have brunch with Chad, Denise, and Chel; Chad and I play soccer up on East Field; Samba Ngo at Kuumbwa; nice coming home to a quiet house.

Andy drops by to borrow "China Men"; catches me in my pajamas; racked by anxiety over the situation with Meggin; couldn't get anything done.

Taking classes through UCLA Extension; drop "Music" after one meeting, but stay with "History of the West" right up until the end; harangued about inferior vitamins at drug store on Larchmont.

Stay up all night with John watching Scarface; go to meeting the following morning at Stu's; rake leaves all that day; Dan B. stops by before leaving for Georgia; we talk and watch the tape of Comic Relief.

Today we went to Grandma's house and had a wonderful party.

Harvey Wainapel show at Kuumbwa; Yumi comes to hang out with me; Chad and Denise drop by and we go play darts at the Poet with Chel; I sink a double-bull to win the game.

Basketball driving me crazy; read, run; bottle of Stoli cuts into my food budget; Celtic rock band at Live Soup; cut on over to Red Room, dance to DJ cuts; drinking vodka that I keep in my socks; what a cheap bastard...

Jason is in L.A., staying with Joe; he comes to the job in Beverly Hills and Joe has us doing batting practice on the new ball fields; buy new glove, but it’s a bit snug.

Drive John to Goodyear; Todd cuts off his mohawk; he's being more himself than ever; "flame off" at work in order to complete my scripting requirements; pick up Dad at O'Hare and drive to see the Sting play Dallas (they lost).

We had a party at school and I was on the set-up crew so I could set up the tables.

Talk to Kris at Japanese class about his JET interview; Tajima sensei tells us her experience in Japan with domestic violence; Ted and I have a long talk after class; he tells me about lingering sleeplessness related to his father, and his plans to move to Japan.

On the road to San Francisco by 11; meet Claire and Jesse at Mandarin Oriental hotel; we walk around North Beach, go to City Lights; I get the feeling the girls don't want me around so I take off after only 4 hours; night ride home along the coast makes up for everything.

Sean comes out for a little over three weeks; he works with me one day but decides that the work is too hard; he next finds a job working at a patisserie but he only lasts there an hour; Sean flies Debbie out for the weekend; Kirsten also comes out for a few days; Patti and I hike along the ridge of Topanga Canyon.

Employee meeting at Fox Valley Stuart Anderson's; kick soccer ball around at WWHS; car breaks down on Plamondon; Jim and Beth drive by, but don't see me; run to John's, leave car there; John's dad talks me through the repair the next day; it's "a nothin' thing".

Today we made valentines at home and made a valentine’s bag.

Peace and beauty at Coit Tower; woman who resembles Meggin takes our picture; I remark upon this and Yumi gets upset; drive over to Marin side of the Bridge; walk along restaurants near Pier 39; decide to eat dinner back home.

Meggin and I enumerate the reasons why we're NOT working; she wants to fly me out to Boston so we can talk face-to-face; great panel discussion in Native American Experience; importance of knowing who you are; what are my traditions, stories?; call Meggin to share my enthusiasm.

Go to Marie Callender's for my birthday with Grandma, Grandpa, Jenny, Claire, Patti, Liza, and Lucy; Liza is pretty loud; Grandma chides me for having so many people out at once.

Spring break is over; time to catch-up; take Grant to O'Hare Saturday morning; I love the airport; see Jim McMahon in the terminal; some guy says they went to high school together.