New Doctor

Yesterday I had my first appointment with Dr. Nani Kanen. I really like her and she likes me. She described me as a star writer to her assistant and insisted that we take a photograph together. She said I look much better than I did last month in Mills Hospital.

My digital scale had me gaining ten pounds yesterday, to 168. Somehow I doubt that I gained that much in one day. According to the doctor's scale, that is my actual weight -- 28 pounds since my low of 140.

It definitely helps eating thrEe solid meals a day.

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Impeachment Sham

This was certainly not a real trial; it was a joke. There are no principled Republicans; I am ashamed of them all.

It's almost a relief to have it over.

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Visitors Continued

Two friends who were scheduled to come by today will come next Thursday instead. One is sick.

Miranda stopped by yesterday. Her baby is due pretty soon and she has continued to cover the gender beat for KQED.

These visits keep me involved with the company. I miss working there.

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File Pollution

As I sort and sort, I encounter files of receipts from years ago that are of no imaginable use. Why did I save this crap?

Other files would be of interest to somebody I suppose -- correspondence from all over the world about Circle of Poison.

One item I came across in an old journal when I was in my 20s. One of my grandmothers was 85; we were celebrating her birthday and I told her I hoped I would reach the age of 85.

"No you don't," she quipped.

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A Rather Nice Day

Olivia came by at mid-day. She produces Bay Curious for KQED -- one of the most popular programs there. She is such a good friend.

Valerie and Helen took me to dinner tonight to a nearby cafe. It was so nice to see them in between their trips over seas. They've been close friends of mine for many years now.

I know I am lucky to have friends, especially at a time like this!

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The Falling Syndrome

Here everyone I've met has fallen at least once. Last night at dinner somebody fell. They were singing her "Happy Birthday" when she tried to rise and just slipped to the floor. The staff gathered around and it took her a long time to get up.

Then she made her way slowly to her room with a walker.

The event caused concern all over the dining room. It was the second time someone has fallen in recent days.

We've always heard of old people falling but when it's you who has fallen that experience transforms your thinking. Suddenly you are the one at risk. And in a place like this, you are everyone.

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STROKES

Another close friend has suffered a stroke. She is in the hospital trying to recover.

I know strokes and heart attacks are common as we age.

It's just hard when it happens to a friend.

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Political Scenario

So Trump has been impeached. Everyone assumes he will be exonerated by the Senate. There may even be a mock trial with no witnesses.

Once that is done, the Democrats will choose their candidate for President. The polls will indicate which party is likely to win the few battleground states that really matter.

If Trump trails by a significant margin in these polls, his best option might be to resign and have the new Republican President, Mike Pence, pardon him of all crimes. That's what Ford did for Nixon in 1974.

Pence could appoint a popular figure like Nikki Haley as Vice-President. This might even help him pull out an election victory, but if the Democrats win the presidency, they would presumably respect Pence's pardon.

If Trump stays in the race and  wins re-election, the Democrats will definitely hold the House and may even win the Senate, If that happens, Trump faces risk after risk the next four years.

My bet is he resigns this summer.

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This Is Getting to be Ridiculous

My sleep pattern? Sleep most of the day and spend all night awake.

Last night I went to bed at 6 p.m. and woke up at midnight, Nothing normal about that!

Julia texted that she is back at college. Second semester, junior year.

Memoir now over 37,500 words. I'm inserting craziness here and there. If you didn't know better, you'd call me a nut job. No, that would mean you do know better.

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The State of Being Proud...

...of yourself is a learned art for most of us.

For the second time I took my own BP today. My friend Alex from KQED came for a visit. I've added to my memoir today.

Adapting to this new life proceeds.

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Memory Released

As I concentrate on my memoir, all kinds of things are popping into my mind, rather like memory popcorn. Few of these memories will make it into the memoir but reading my old journals refreshes my grasp of experiences long past.

I've long had an image of my son Aidan's first time swinging a baseball bat. It was a pink, plastic bat he found in our basement on Elsie Street.

This morning, I rediscovered that memory by reading my 1998 journal. It was April 18 of that year when I'd just turned 51 and he was barely 3 1/2. He naturally took a strong left-handed swing, although he is right-handed.

Any little league coach like me likes a left-handed batter. Why? Because he is one big step closer to first base when he hits  ground ball. If he is fast (Aidan always has been fast) he's going to beat out a lot of infield hits.

In good time Aidan did just that, as one of the best hitters my pal Susan Lupica and I coached during our years in the SF Little League association.

Again, not for the memoir, which is supposed to be about journalism, but meaningful for me.

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