Haikus: December 2016

HAIKUS: December 2016

By Peter Y. Chou
WisdomPortal.com

These haikus were written as exercises in mindfulness—
an attempt to catch the fleeting moment in my daily walks,
while reading, listening to music, and pondering about life.
(Underlined words are not for emphasis but to web links.)
This web page best viewed with Times font size 14.

Thursday, December 1, 2016, 12:56-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Scanning images for "Psychic Cleaners" Notes—
" Concordance to Dante's Divine Comedy",
"Nebbia Fog citations" (page 352)

4 citations of "fog" in Inferno,
5 citations of "fog" in Purgatorio,
0 citation of "fog" in Paradiso. Thursday, December 1, 2016, 12:56-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Images for "Psychic Cleaners" Notes— Smoky Room: "There was a fortune teller set up in the living room.
The smoky look comes from actual smoke machines."

Abe Lincoln on U.S. $5 Bill,
Ben Franklin on U.S. $100 Bill,
Smoky Room of Fortune Teller.

Thursday, December 1, 2016, 12:56-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Half hour to find "Psychic Cleaners" photos on
camera chip at Bay Street (5-5-2016, 4:18-4:27 pm)

Palace Vape & Tanning,
Bay Street Circle Sign,
Angela's Cleaners. Thursday, December 1, 2016, 12:56-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Took almost an hour to render Bay Street Circle Sign
to "Psychic Cleaners" image in Adobe Photoshop

$2.50 Dry Cleaner,
Psychic Cleaners $2.50 Sign,
Mick Jagger singing Fortune Teller.

Friday, December 2, 2016, 11:56 am-6:10 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Al Guzman likes 9 am breakfast at Hometown Buffet
and seeing 2:15 pm "Dr. Strange" movie at Cinelux;
Emailed friends to join us: Dave Huseman, John Beck, Robert Slack, Matt Low, Jiansu Lai, Rudy

Typing "Notes-Psychic Cleaners"— and formatting images for each 4-lines stanza;
Six hours arranging 5 stanzas & 18 images. Friday, December 2, 2016, 7:30-8:45 pm
Palo Alto: Friends' House, 957 Colorado Ave,
Waverley Writers Poetry Reading: Two of my poems in December 2016 issue of "Fresh Hot Bread"— "Memories of a Best Friend for 26 Years" and
"Silence is Golden"; Joel Katz gave me ride home.

20 poets met in Kid's Room of Friends' House:
Tonight I read "Lovely Leaf from the Sky"
& "The Letter C: Short Autobiography".

Saturday, December 3, 2016, 9:32 am-2:30 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Video taping, so Krause Center closed early at
2:30 pm instead of its regular 4:30 pm schedule

Jack gave me ride to Old Middlefield
to pay December storage fee rental;
Took 3:40 pm Bus #40 to Los Altos Library. Saturday, December 3, 2016, 4:30-5:40 pm
Los Altos Library: Can't find Matt Low's phone # for
Al Guzman to pick him up at Costco for breakfast at
Hometown Buffet; Robert Slack emailed he can't come

Emailed Ann if she can find "Notes
to Psychic Cleaners"; Found links to
Rolling Stones at Cornell (10-30-1985).

Sunday, December 4, 2016, 9:00 am-11:45 pm
Santa Clara: Al Guzman drove to Hometown Buffet
(2270 El Camino Real, Moonlit Plaza) for breakfast;
then to Cupertino Square AMC Theatre (10123 N. Wolfe Rd.) to see "Dr. Strange" (2016) 1:35-4 pm; directed by Scott Derrickson starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams,
Benedict Wong, Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen,
Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins;
(You Tube: 1, 2, 3, 4, ); Film Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Neurosurgeon lost use of hands after
car wreck; went to Nepal for mystical
healing & became adept to fight villains. Sunday, December 4, 2016, 4:39-5:50 pm
Los Altos Library: After seeing "Dr. Strange" movie
that ended at 4 pm (Cupertino Square AMC Theatre), Al Guzman drove me to Los Altos Library; Typed up four poems from hard copies in Yahoo Email Drafts: "I've Learned My Lesson Well" (4:48 pm), "Royalty Spirituality" (5:02 pm), "Walking Pilgrimages" (5:25 pm), "The Way to Truth: Science or Poetry" (5:43 pm)
6:13 pm Bus #40 came 20 minutes late for ride home;
Didn't go to Stanford Theatre to get more work done.

Saw Fred & Ginger in The Gay Divorcee
(1934) four times and Marx Brothers in
Animal Crackers (1930) twice already.

Monday, December 5, 2016, 10:01-10:05 am
KDFC 104.9 FM: Ray White's favorite: Frederic Hand plays guitar in Frederic Hand; "Prayer" (2007); CD: Odyssey; (YouTube: 1, 2, 3); Heard
Julian Bream at Cornell's Bailey Hall (2-27-1968)

Composed in 2007 in honor
of his teacher Julian Bream
for 8-course lute played on guitar. Monday, December 5, 2016, 10:40 am-11:04 am
Mountain View: 10:32 pm Bus #34 at Hackett Ave
to Safeway (570 North Shoreline Drive) for shopping;
No time for customer service for bananas @ 79¢/lb
overcharge, or had to wait an hour for 12:05 pm bus

Lucerne Vanilla Yogurt @ $2.02,
3 bananas @ 59¢/lb, Orange Juice $2.99,
Martinelli Sparkling Apple Cider @ $1.99.

Monday, December 5, 2016, 11:55 am-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Steve Gould's 5:25 am email (12-5-2016) attending
art exhibit at Met on "Valentin de Boulogne" with
attachments: "Judgment of Solomon" (1); Valentin

So wonderful for Steve to share
his visit to the Met where I wrote
papers taking Art History at Columbia. Monday, December 5, 2016, 11:55 am-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Formatting in HTML 4 poems typed at Los Altos
Library yesterday; Need to find photos with poems;
Still to complete: Notes to Poem: "Psychic Cleaners"

"I've Learned My Lesson Well",
"The Way to Truth: Science or Poetry", "Royalty Spirituality", "Walking Pilgrimages".

Tuesday, December 6, 2016, 9:01-9:05 am
KDFC 104.9 FM: Dianne Nicolini's favorite: Claire Jones plays harp, Stuart Morley conducts English Chamber Orchestra in Zdenek Fibich; "Moods, impressions and reminiscences, Op. 41: no 4 in G minor" or "Poem" (1893); CD; (YouTube: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Dianne Nicolini's favorite
is Fibich's "Poem" on harp played
by the Royal Harpist Claire Jones. Tuesday, December 6, 2016, 10:53 am-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Format Poems in HTML: "I've Learned My Lesson Well", "The Way to Truth: Science or Poetry", "Royalty Spirituality", "Walking Pilgrimages",
"Angel Clouds Above Auburn Auto" & Photos

Found "Angel Clouds Above Auburn Auto"
poem in "Auburn Auto & Clouds" folder
with Stanford Theatre Marquee.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 8:15-8:20 am
KDFC 104.9 FM: Mischa Maisky plays cello,
Semyon Bychkov conducts Orchestre de Paris
in Camille Saint-Saens; "Carnival of the Animals":
The Swan (1886); CD; (YouTube: Mischa Maisky,
Yo-Yo Ma, Hanna Chang, Dancer: Svetlana Zakharova, Swan images, Animation, 7)

It's the Day of Infamy—
but soothing sound of the swan
may bring serenity on this cloudy day. Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 11:26 am-7:00 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
"Pearl Harbor survivor Chuck Kohler makes up for lost time spreading the word" (He was 17 at Pearl Harbor when 2400 died; Now 92, he talks about it.); (By Sam Richards, Mercury News, 12-7-2016, A1, A7)
Jim Swett downed 7 Jap bombers (NY Times obituary)

"75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Attack",
"Pearl Harbor Documentary",
"Eleanor Roosevelt: Pearl Harbor Address".

Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 11:26 am-8:32 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Photos for poem "108 Roses": Ace of Hearts;
Awakening; Blossom Time; China Doll;
Golden Dawn; Happy Wanderer

Joyfulness;
Paradise Rose;
White Wings Rose. Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 11:26 am-8:32 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Images for Notes to Poem "Letter Z": Mac Keyboard;
16th century Letter Z; Zinnia; Dr. Zhivago;
Zayin: Zebra; Italy C17 Arrows; Alpine Zither

Anton Karas plays zither in Third Man;
Frozen Lizard in Ice Cube;
USPS Use Zip Code Poster.

Thursday, December 8, 2016, 9:01-9:05 am
KDFC 104.9 FM: Hoyt Smith's favorite: Capella Weilburgensis plays in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: "Marriage of Figaro: Overture, K. 492" (1786);
CD; (YouTube: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Hoyt Smith's favorite
is Marriage of Figaro Overture
from "Mozart in the Jungle" CD. Thursday, December 8, 2016, 10:56 am-8:00 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Images for Notes to Poem "Letter Z": Zinfandel Trail at Pichetti Ranch; "Zephyr & Chloris", "Flora",
Use Zip Code tab; Zip a Dee Doo Dah

Chief Crazy Horse,
Blizzard: Feb. 10, 2010, Washington DC,
2-Feet Hail Storm: June 5, 2015, Denver.

Friday, December 9, 2016, 9:01-9:15 am
KDFC 104.9 FM: Rick Malone's favorite: Alina Ibragimova plays violin, Cedric Tiberghien on piano in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: "Violin Sonata #18 in G, K.301" (1778); CD; (YouTube: Hilary Hahn, 2, 3)

Rick Malone's's favorite
Mozart's Violin Sonata #18 in G
composed when he was 22-years old. Friday, December 9, 2016, 10:58 am-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Reformatting Notes to Poem "Psychic Cleaners"
to rid of "Widows & Orphans" when printed on Dell Computers; Preface to Poems 2016 to fit two pages.

Autumn Maple Leaf,
Blizzard: Feb. 10, 2010, Washington DC,
2-Feet Hail Storm: June 5, 2015, Denver.

Saturday, December 10, 2016, 10:50 am-4:30 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Photos for poem "Moments to Cherish"

Used Photoshop curves to brighten
Steve's Paris photos on Opera House top
and Marc Chagall's painting of ceiling. Saturday, December 10, 2016, 10:50 am-4:30 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Complete writing Preface to Poems 2016

Blurbs on what inspired
the 24 poems in 2016
with no times for Notes.

Sunday, December 11, 2016, 5:45-7:20 pm
Stanford Theatre: Robert Florey & Joseph Santley direct "The Cocoanuts" (1929) with Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx, Mary Eaton, Oscar Shaw, Margaret Dumont, Kay Francis, Cyril Ring, Basil Ruysdael, (YouTube: 1, 2, 3, 4, Full Movie); (Film Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4); Margaret Dumont, in the first of seven film appearances with the Marxes.

Groucho inflates sale prices
at auction of houses having
Chico making phony bids. Sunday, December 11, 2016, 7:30-9:15 pm
Stanford Theatre: George Stevens directs "Swing Time" (1936) with Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Victor Moore, Eric Blore, Helen Broderick,
Betty Furness, Georges Metaxa, Landers Stevens; (YouTube: 1, Trailer, Bojangels, Pick Yourself Up!, Dance Studio, Waltz, Never Gonna Dance);
(Film Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Georges Metaxa as bandleader
wouldn't let Fred & Ginger dance
in his club as he's extremely jealous.

Monday, December 12, 2016, 11:00 am-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
For Notes to Poem: "Moments to Cherish";
Drones Photos: Taj Mahal & Arc de Triomphe;
Richard inspired Einstein's 137th Birthday (3-14-16)

Columbia friend Richard sends email
on "Aerial Views from Drones"—
Now I have bird's-eye view! Monday, December 12, 2016, 11:00 am-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Steve Gould inspired "The Universe is Made of Stories" (12-10-2010), "Hands Holding the Void"
(2-20-2013), "Angel with the Sudarium" (1-25-2015).

Cornell & Brandeis friend Steve
& housemate in Cambridge sends
email of visit to Paris Opera House.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016, 10:00 am-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
For Notes to Poem: "Moments to Cherish";
took photo of Krause Center Mac Computers

Mac computers not removed from
Foothill Krause Center saved me
trips to new Sunnyvale campus. Tuesday, December 13, 2016, 10:00 am-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Images: Secret Teachings; Secret Destiny;
Compass & Square; Freemason Washington

Breakfast with Al and Robert
discussing sacred geometry
and secrets of the Freemasons.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016, 2:00-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Notes to Poem "The Number 3": Images:
Japan #273: Kamakura Buddha; Laos #58:
Key of Knowledge; MacDonald's "The Golden Key"

Root, trunk, leaves— three parts of a tree;
length, width, height— 3-dimensions of space
to unlock the door with a golden key. Wednesday, December 14, 2016, 2:00-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Notes to Poem "The Number 3": Images:
San Marino #622: Dante Alighieri; Fogg Museum:
"Dante & Beatrice"; Dante's Paradiso Canto I

Dante's Commedia is so sublime—
a love poem that is vast and deep
using his terza rima rhyme.

Thursday, December 15, 2016, 9:20 am-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Notes to Poem "The Number 3": Sleeping Gypsy;
Philebus 16d; AUM Symbol; Turiya Consciousness

Joseph Campbell explaining
to Bill Moyers that turiya is
the silence between the AUMs. Thursday, December 15, 2016, 9:20 am-7:50 pm
Los Altos Hills: Foothill College Krause Center
Sophia in Ephesus; Rudolf Steiner's "Truth Beauty
& Goodness"; Plato by Raphael; Birthday Cake

Changed Happy 1st Birthday Lilly
to Happy 3rd Birthday Lilly cake in
Photoshop using 24 pt Apple Chancery font.

Friday, December 16, 2016, 12:50-4:45 pm
Mountain View Senior Center Tech Room—
Printed 2 copies of Notes to Poem "The Number 3" & 4 copies Poems 2016-Index that had streaks in them

Registered for Winter Quarter
Foothill Colleg LINC086A—
Video Podcasting (3/25) for $18.50. Friday, December 16, 2016, 6:00-6:17 pm
Mountain View: Sprouts Farmers Market
(630 San Antonio Rd); Green onion @ 50¢;
Raincheck on Red Seedless Grapes @ 98¢/lb

16 minutes run to Showers Drive
to pick up the current Epoch Times
and catch 6:36 pm Bus #40 home.

Friday, December 16, 2016, 10:05-11:19 pm
KDFC 104.9 FM: Simon Rattle conducts Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in Ludwig van Beethoven;
Symphony #9 "Choral" in d Op.125 (1824); CD; (YouTube: Josef Krips, Riccardo Mutti, Leonard Bernstein, Herbert von Karajan, Daniel Barenboim)

Beethoven's 246th birthday—
KDFC plays his 9th Symphony
to honor this perennial favorite. Friday, December 16, 2016, 10:05 pm-1:30 am
Mountain View: While listening to KDFC play
Beethoven's "9th Symphony", arranged all 24 poems of 2016 in chronological order and made Inventory of "In Nature's Realm: Poems 2016"— Number of each poem & different printing % to fit poem on one page

Need to photocopy more of
Notes: "The Letter Z" and
Notes: "Science & Poetry".

Saturday, December 17, 2016, 1:50-5:35 pm
Los Altos Library: Photo Exhibit of Judy Kramer
from Iceland: glaciers, geysers, horses & sheep

Iceland Glaciers,
Sheep & Horses,
Waterfalls & Geysers. Saturday, December 17, 2016, 1:50-5:35 pm
Los Altos Library: Emailed Rudy that I had
no dial-tone on my phone since Thursday

Management says phone is low priority
than those with plumbing problems;
AT&T will come Tuesday for repair.

Sunday, December 18, 2016, 6:00-7:20 pm
Stanford Theatre: Norman Z. McLeod directs "Monkey Business" (1931) with Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx, Thelma Todd, Rockliffe Fellowes, Harry Woods, Ruth Hall, Tom Kennedy, Cecil Cunningham; (YouTube:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5); (Film Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Marx Brothers as four stowaways
on ship hired as tough guys
by feuding gangsters. Sunday, December 18, 2016, 7:30-9:20 pm
Stanford Theatre: Mark Sandrich directs "Shall We Dance" (1937) with Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, Jerome Cowan, Ketti Gallian, Harriet Hoctor, Charles Coleman, William Brisbane; (YouTube: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6);
(Film Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Harriet Hoctor was to pair
with Fred in this film, but
Ginger changed her mind..

Monday, December 19, 2016, 10:13-10:44 pm
KDFC 104.9 FM: Zoltán Kocsis plays piano,
Edo de Waart conducts San Francisco Symphony
in Serge Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #2 in c,
Op. 18 (1901); CD; (YouTube: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #2
is Connie's favorite classical music—
voted #2 on KDFC All-Stars Favorites. Monday, December 19, 2016, 11:32 pm-2:00 am
Mountain View: "Other Moons Super in Their Own Ways" (NY Times, 11-12-2016) & Mike Kentrianakis' photo of "Supermoon & the Chrysler Building" inspired poem "Supermoon: November 14, 2016"

Do you see the beauty
of it all?— flakes of light
streaming out of the Supermoon.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016, 8:15-8:21 am
KDFC 104.9 FM: Stephen Cleobury conducts Choir of King's College, Cambridge in Johann Sebastian Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring BWV 147 (1723);
CD; (YouTube: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Bach's "Joy of Man's Desiring"
inspired my poem "Which
Came First: Joy or Desire?" Tuesday, December 20, 2016, 10:38 am-12:18 pm
Mountain View: Fidel from AT&T fixed my phone without dial-tone (8:25 am); Apartment Computer Room: Printed poems "Moments to Cherish", "Psychic Cleaners", & Preface to Poems 2016

Typed in Microsoft Word
"Supermoon: November 14, 2016"
with photo resized in second column.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016, 1:00-2:10 pm
Mountain View Senior Center (266 Escuelar Ave)
M. K. Asante directs "The Black Candle" (2008); documentary film about Kwanzaa (created by Maulana Karenga, 1966) film narrated by
Maya Angelou; YouTube; Reviews: imdb

Seven candles celebrating
Kwanzaa is similar to
Menorah's seven lamps. Tuesday, December 20, 2016, 1:00-2:10 pm
Kwanzaa's 7 principles (Nguzo Saba): Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), Imani (Faith); Many left before the film is over

Children need righteous
principles to guide them
to be successful in life.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016, 11:55 am-12:22 pm
Mountain View: Paulson Park Computer Room
Printed "Supermoon: November 14, 2016" in
Microsoft Word & HTML pages of Notes to Poem "Moments to Cherish" & Preface to Poems 2016

Toner is low and even after
much shaking of cartridge
copies are still too light. Wednesday, December 21, 2016, 1:00-8:45 pm
Mountain View Senior Center (266 Escuelar Ave)
Friend says Menorah has 8 candles to be lit from December 24-31; but Moses has 7 temple candles
in Exodus 25.31-37; Steve's 12/21 email on Yalda

Shab-e Yalda ("Yalda night" Persian)
is an Iranian festival celebrated on the
"longest and darkest night of the year".

Thursday, December 22, 2016, 10:11-11:20 am
Mountain View: Paulson Park Computer Room
Printed Poems 2006-2015 Index to keep track
of poems written; Larry Lesyna's SETI page

Larry wants feedback
on his SETI web page for
Astronomy Meeting in Dallas. Thursday, December 22, 2016, 4:30-4:48 pm
After Narnia film at Mountain View Senior Center (3:25 pm) friend takes me to Mountain View: Walgreens (1905 West El Camino Real)

Bought 4 lbs of Wonderful Pistachios
(regular price @ $11.49) @ $4.49/lb
with four 50¢ off coupons.

Thursday, December 22, 2016, 5:35-7:20 pm
Stanford Theatre: Victor Fleming directs
"The Wizard of Oz" (1939) with Judy Garland,
Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr,
Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Clara Blandick,
Charley Grapewin, Terry (dog); (YouTube:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6); (Film Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Victor Fleming directed
Gone With the Wind and Oz
in the same year with two big hits. Thursday, December 22, 2016, 7:30-9:10 pm
Stanford Theatre: Ernst Lubitsch directs "The Shop Around the Corner" (1940) with Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan, Joseph Schildkraut, Sara Haden, Felix Bressart, William Tracy, Inez Courtney, Charles Halton, Charles Smith; (YouTube: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6); (Film Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Saw this film 5 times already
but enjoy audience laughter
to the Lubitsch touch.

Thursday, December 22, 2016, 1:00-3:25 pm
Mountain View Senior Center (266 Escuelar Ave)
Andrew Adamson directs The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) with William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Liam Neeson, Tilda Swinton; (YouTube: 1, 2, 3, 4, final battle, full movie);
(Film Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Film rated A+ based on C.S. Lewis's
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,
one of my niece Elisa's favorite books. Friday, December 23, 2016, 1:00-4:25 pm
Mountain View Senior Center (266 Escuelar Ave)
Francis Ford Coppola directs The Godfather Part II (1974) with Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, Michael V. Gazzo, Morgana King,
Gastone Moschin, Joe Spinell, Richard Bright; (YouTube: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6); (Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Loved Nino Rota's music
in this 200 minutes film
of The Godfather II.

Friday, December 23, 2016, 6:00-8:00 pm
Los Altos: Chef Chu (1067 N San Antonio Road);
Larry & Cathy picked me up at my apt 5:15 pm just
as I walked home from Mountain View Senior Center
after 200-minutes "Godfather II" movie in the rain;
Cathy made dinner reservations for 6:00 pm

Hot & sour soup, Crispy angel hair
pan-fried noodles, Mongolian lamb,
Prawns with broccoli, Fried bananas.
Friday, December 23, 2016, 6:00-8:00 pm
Los Altos: Chef Chu (1067 N San Antonio Road);
Cathy (Las Vegas) treats Connie & me for dinner
around Christmas; She's sorry that Connie died;
Gave Cathy Poems 2016 & Common Ground issues; Discussed Larry's SETI page for AAS poster session

Recommended HTML tables
with NASA space photos on left
and text on right to attract viewers.

Saturday, December 24, 2016, 11:55 am-3:00 pm
Mountain View: 12:23 pm Milk Pail (2585 California Street) (1.3 lbs broccoli crowns @ 99¢/lb); 2:05 pm Sprouts Farmers Market (630 San Antonio Road);
(1.34 lb Roma tomatoes @ 88¢/lb)

Left bag with broccoli on bench as
1:20 pm Bus #40 came; Got 1:30 pm
Bus #40 back— Broccoli still there!
Saturday, December 24, 2016, 6:00-7:40 pm
Mountain View: Cooking dinner— Tai Pei's shrimp fried rice, 2 eggs, green onions, water chestnuts, broccoli, bean curd, scallops, crabmeat, chop suey.
Imaginary 12 guests for Christmas Eve dinner—

Lao Tzu, Buddha, Plato, Plotinus, PB,
Chou Tun-yi, Wang Yang Ming, Rumi,
Dante, Goethe, Shankara, and Emerson.

Sunday, December 25, 2016, 11:30 am-2:00 pm
Mountain View: Listening to KABC 95.7 FM Radio
on Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
in rematch of last year's NBA Final Cavaliers won

Best two NBA teams—
Warriors (27-4) vs. Cavaliers (22-6)—
Cleveland wins 109-108 in last seconds.
Sunday, December 25, 2016, 1:00-3:00 pm
Mountain View: Reading "Mary: The Most
Powerful Woman in the World" (By Maureen Orth,
National Geographic, December 2015, pp. 30-59)

MiracleHunter.com reports
2000 apparitions of Virgin Mary—
mere 28 approved by local bishops.

Monday, December 26, 2016, 5:03-5:11 pm
KDFC 104.9 FM: Gordon Hunt plays oboe with Norrköping Symphony Orchestra in Domenico Zipoli's Elevazione (1716); CD; (YouTube: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Elevazione elevates
my soul each time
soaring beyond time. Monday, December 26, 2016, 10:30-11:30 pm
Mountain View: "Nation's oldest gorilla turns 60"
(Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Boston.com. 12-22-2016)
Toledo Zoo Galapagos tortoise is 100 years old.

Philadelphia Zoo polar bear is 36,
San Francisco Zoo black rhino is 46,
Oregon Zoo Asian elephant is 54.

Tuesday, December 27, 2016, 10:01-10:04 am
KDFC 104.9 FM: Pascal Rogé plays piano
in Erik Satie's Gymnopédie #1 (1888);
CD; (YouTube: 1, 2, 3, 4 5)

Satie's piano music—
serene and simple—
one of my favorites. Tuesday, December 27, 2016, 3:50-6:21 pm
Mountain View: 3:50 pm Google Red Bus; 4:05 pm
Bus #22; 5:38 pm Bus #22; 6:04 pm Bus #40; Shop at
99 Ranch Market; Smart & Final (near Grant Road)

Mock duck $1.49, Rice crackers $2.99,
Bean curd $2.99, Spinach wontons $1.99,
Tofu $1.09, Broad beans 99¢; Milk $2.49.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016, 1:40-1:50 pm
Mountain View: Office Depot (910 El Monte Ave)
Xerox 4 pages Notes to Poem "Moments to Cherish"
since Paulson Park Computer Room copies are too light; Mtn View Senior Center printer has streaks

Made sure all copies from
Poems 2016 for Prof. Scheraga
are clear and legible for reading. Wednesday, December 28, 2016, 2:11-2:54 pm
Mountain View: Walgreens (1905 W. El Camino Real); Sprouts (630 San Antonio Rd); Trader Joe's (590 Showers Dr); Los Altos Library (6:10-8:50 pm)
Need eggs & vinegar for egg drop sweet & sour soup

8 cans Swanson Chicken Broth @ 49¢
Baby carrots 98¢/lb; Dozen Eggs $1.29;
Balsamic vinegar from Tuscany $2.29.

Thursday, December 29, 2016, 2:15-2:55 pm
Los Altos Post Office (221 Main Street)
"Poems 2016" & "Numbers 95" weighed 1 lb 1.8 oz;
Media rate $3.09; Told Vincente of greeting card
inside that raised the mailing price to $12.50

He gave me scissors to cut package open
to mail greeting card separately @ 47¢
and package with insurance for $5.19. Thursday, December 29, 2016, 3:25-4:00 pm
Los Altos History Museum: "Hau Beiren @ 100: Works from te Old Apricot Villa"; Dec. 31 is last day of exhibit; I'm the only one here & the artist Paul Hau.
We chatted for 15 minutes & he invites me to his home.

Paul Hau was a good friend
of Chang Dai-chien whom
Picasso regarded as his mentor.

Friday, December 30, 2016, 12:00-1:00 pm
San Mateo: Little Shanghai Restaurant (17 East 25th Ave); Cousin Scott Chou treats me for lunch & tells
me that the chef is from Shanghai

Smoked fish, Hot & sour soup,
Sauteed prawns, Bean curd sheet & spinach,
Pan-fried noodles with shrimp & vegetables. Friday, December 30, 2016, 1:30-2:15 pm
San Mateo: Skylawn Memorial Park: Visit
Dad & Mom's grave site and Scott's Mom Fu Yu's
grave site nearby (Jim Davenport also buried here)

Placed two heart-shaped leaves
on Dad & Mom's tombstone and
read "Memories to Cherish" poem.

Friday, December 30, 2016, 3:00-4:00 pm
Los Altos History Museum: Scott Chou came to see exhibit of Paul Hau's paintings; I took photos of paintings (12 exhibited) missed on Thursday visit.

Chatted with Bob Finnegan
& his wife who lives in Los Altos
on James Joyce's Finnegans Wake. Friday, December 30, 2016, 9:30 pm
Mountain View: Surprise phone call from Murad,
a stranger, saying he found a box of photos on
Ortega Ave (left by Connie's sons?) that maybe mine.

Told him I've not been to Ortega Ave
since Connie died; He said he'll bring
them in an hour, but never showed up.

Saturday, December 31, 2016, 12:24-4:55 pm
Didn't visit last day of Hau Beiren's Art Exhibit;
Los Altos Library: Sent four "Happy New Year"
emails to those who sent me greeting cards
and five emails to friends and relatives

Checked out Classic Film Stars:
Interviews from Hollywood's Golden Era
by James Bawden & Ron Miller (2006). Saturday, December 31, 2016, 6:15-7:01 pm
KDFC 104.9 FM: Sir Roger Norrington conducts
London Classical Players in Ludwig van Beethoven's
Symphony #3 "Eroica" in Eb Op 55 (1804); CD; (YouTube: 1, 2, 3, 4); "Eroica Symphony" Essay

151 conductors voted
Beethoven's Eroica Symphony #3
as greatest symphony of all time.