For The Archives -- For The Grandchildren -- Nothing About The Bakken -- March 25, 2023

Wow, I'm in a good mood.

Poolside. 72°F, not a cloud in the sky, not even a hint of a breeze, listening to Paloma Faith -- with headphones blaring -- and watching without sound the NCAA men's basketball championship. FL Atlantic just knocked off #Kansas State. Wow.

Now, Gonzaga vs UConn. #3 vs #4. [Later: by 30 points, #4 defeats #3. Perhaps one of the most poignant after-game celebrations I've seen in a long time.]

In the southwest sky, an upside-down crescent moon and Venus three hand widths below, and following the ecliptic to the horizon and below, a perfect arc: the moon, Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, and then the sun, well below the horizon. 

Hey, where's Mars? Mars is the "same distance" from the moon as Venus, except Mars is "above" the crescent moon whereas Venus is below the crescent. 

Now, a few best hits by Johnny Rivers.

Now, "500 Miles" from Inside Llewyn Davis. Bittersweet.

I do wish I could re-live Yorkshire, 2002 - 2006. 

I spent the afternoon watching Sophia's soccer team lose. Her second game ever. She has only good memories. "Oh, did we lose? I had a penalty kick!"

From el partido de futbol immediately to una fiesta de cumpleaños for one of Sophia's favorite school friends. 

Long, long story, but suffice it to say I had a great time. The parents of the nine-year-old birthday girl, Peruvian, arrived in the states eight years ago. She, working for American Airlines; he, working for Microsoft after moving from IBM with whom he started in Lima, Peru.

Both of the birthday girl's abuelitas were there. They flew in from Lima, Peru, just for the birthday party. One of the abuelitas spoke no English, only Spanish; the other spoke perfect English. The latter had married a British RAF officer decades ago. She, 71; me 72. We were exact contemporaries and she had been stationed with her husband in many of the same locations that we had been stationed during the Cold War. Lots of catching up. Rota, Spain; Istanbul; Israel, Egypt, and, Morocco, dominated our conversation. 

The birthday girl's first language was Espanol and she is now taking Spanish on Duolingo; her parents don't want her to forget Spanish. The birthday girl's four-year-old sister is also learning a foreign language on Duolingo. The four-year-old, born in this country, has never spoken Spanish, but she's learning French on Duolingo.

This is hilarious. The birthday girl's mother subscribed to Duolingo so her daughter could retain Spanish, but to subscribe to Duolingo, one must set up an "account." The mother wanted the four-year-old to also take Spanish, but to do so, she would have had to set up a separate account for her. The mom didn't want to do that. But to learn a second language, or a third, or a fourth, one does not have to set up a new or another account. So, the birthday girl is also signed up for French but, in fact, her younger sister is taking Fench. LOL.

Wow, I'm in a great mood. Last night we had a problem with our HP printer. The best printer we've ever had, but all of a sudden a glitch. I couldn't solve the problem last night, went to bed thinking about it, and then tried another "solution" this morning. It worked. We're back in business. "Cooking with oil" as they say, she remarking that things are going so smoothly.

Taxes with the accountant. I've done my own taxes my entire life except for a couple of years inn the early 1970s when we bought a house in California. Then, for thirty-plus years did them myself. 

A couple of years, a significant wrinkle that forced me to have a professional do them. Now, that I've straightened out that wrinkle, I could do them again on my own, but I like the accountant and will maintain the relationship.

My philosophy: if you pay taxes to "favor" the "state," they won't bother with an audit in which the taxpayer might actually come out ahead. If that makes sense. I tell the accountant if he has a question about something, just report it in the government's favor and move on. 

So, that's it -- Saturday, March 25, 2023 -- just dropping in to see what condition my condition was in.

It's starting to cool off. Will put on a USC pullover but may have to go in in a few minutes.

From 72° to 66°. 

Also.

Tonight on the way home from her soccer game, I tried explaining the word "bittersweet" to Sophia.

Returning from her soccer game, we drove down eight miles of Southlake Boulevard. That was the boulevard down which I drove Arianna a gazillion times to her water polo practices and her water polo tournaments. Every weekend, every Wednesday night. Along the way, I pointed out the numerous venues -- high schools, gymnasiums, indoor soccer fields, and indoor swimming pools, as well as fast food restaurants where Arianna and I stopped after her games. 

Jersey Mikes, the others local, long forgotten. 

Arianna, now a sophomore at Vanderbilt, and I were joined at the hip. Wow, I drove her to every water polo event until she got her driver's permit, and then she drove me. 

Wow, wow, a Hulu original, "The E$tate -- starring Toni Collette and David Duchovny. But I digress.

Back to Arianna and water polo. So many memories. Bittersweet. 

I think I was first introduced to Toni Collette in The Japanese Story, and, of course, everyone knows David Duchovny from The X-Files. 

Toni Collette, also in Little Miss Sunshine. And Knives Out.