YEAR2005

Jan 1. New Year's Eve at the Purto's in Randolph. A real old lang syne, because they intend to sell their home in the woods, then do some travelling, then retire to Honolulu, at least temporarily. On the evening of the new year, we went to the annual cheese and wine extravaganza at the Solomon's. Susan's new book has been picked up by a British publisher.
Jan 6. The evil dentist pulled one of my molars. The tooth has been sore for years. Finally in Dec an abscess at the root of the tooth generated a fistula. Dentist said tooth had to go. Rebuilding will be expensive and time consuming.
Jan 14. Marian's new Mac Powerbook (Wallstreet) came in the mail today from a seller on ebay. Very elegant purchase for only $147. Initially, it works perfectly. Only negative note: Marian thinks it is too heavy to carry to library. (only 7.5 lbs)
Jan 27. Heavy snow in Princeton--about 15 inches--makes walking around town tricky. Luckily for me, Yuko shovelled the paths on the front and back of the house.
Feb 20. Izumi is back from Tokyo and gave an organ recital at Christ Church in New Brunswick. Her works were taken from Alain, Bruhns, Brahms and Bach. Before this lightning visit, she gave recitals in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and in South Amboy, NJ. Back to Tokyo on Feb 23 (sob). Many of her friends from the Cathedral in Trenton, All Saints Church in Princeton, and Christ Church were in attendance. We were sad to see her off at the rail station. When she is around there is always a aura of excitement, with musically-oriented odd bods coming and going, and visits to strange churches to hear her play. She has introduced us to some most interesting players in the local amateur music scene.
Mar 17. We are off to Tokyo on Apr 28, returning to NY on May 12, to visit Izumi and her family, then go on tours to Mt Fuji, Kyoto, and Nara. Izumi will be our general guide, but we will have an English-speaking guide for two days in Kyoto. Bought a guide to Japan. Lots of things to see and learn. We are assured that if we get lost in a city, there will be plenty of English speaking people to direct us to our destination.
Mar 22. Dine at the restaurant Ouest at 84th and Broadway, courtesy of Bill and Judith Frost. Great game and fish restaurant. I had sturgeon; Marian, roast pork, both delicious. Restaurant noted for celebraties, like Bill Clinton and Eliot Spitzer. Looked around on our visit, but did not spot anyone famous.
Apr 16. Magic Flute at the Met. Unusual production, with futuristic sets and animals that fly through the air. The costumes of Zoraster and his minions were very Japanese.
Apr 21. Dined with Toni Weaver, her husband, Skip, and Elizabeth V at their apartment on the 15th floor, Central Park West, between 94th and 95th st.
Apr 23. Marian read the letters of Mrs Delany, a music-loving Dubliner in the 18th century. Music of the Baroque on period instruments organized by John Burkhalter, who also played the soprano recorder.
Apr 29--May 12. To Japan, visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara. (Note photo of Zen Garden in Nanzen Temple) Put up by Izumi in her apartment overlooking Tanagawa River. From our terrace we can see the train bridges across the river, a broad swatch of green beside the river, broken up by playing fields for soccer and baseball. The local high school boys train like recruits in a boot camp, keeping up a constant yelling and uproar. I am greatly slowed down by a sore heel on my right foot.
May 17. Heel pain diagnosed by Dr Guttesman, a podiatrist. It's the result of a rupture in an Achilles tendon which attaches the calf muscle to the back of the foot. The X-ray shows that the tendon has pulled away in two area, tearing off the outer layer of the bone.
May 24. Marian's birthday. Last night we took her to the American ballet Gala Opening, featuring a sample of the major productions of the coming season. She was particularly taken by the dancing of Angel Corella and Maxime Belosertsky. Today it was lunch at Fiorella's, across from Lincoln Center. Her dish was Veal Medallions in a Marsala sauce. Scrumptious, she said. Then we went over to Brooklyn on the subway to visit the Museum. It was closed. Damn.
Aug 4. Busy week on the health front. Yesterday a colonoscopy with removal of a sessile polyp. Today, replacement of temporary crown with a permanent one. Dentist says all is well. The big abscess may have been an allergic reaction to the materials in the temporary crown (??). Says that the new porcelain crown much more inert.
Aug 10. Marian off to London today at 5 pm on American Airlines. Then down from Paddington to Newton Abbot, Devon by 3-hour train. Worried about her sister Joan.
Aug 22. Marian back from London. Noted the civility of Londoners (anyone would look good after New York), and the number of Muslim women wearing chadores or head scarves around London. Very different from my recollections. Visit with her sister went reasonably well, but no progress whatever on planning for her future years. Has become very forgetful in recent years. Source of continual worry.
Aug 24. My birthday came and went peacefully. Marian took me to Isabellas, a restaurant on Columbus Ave across from the museum. Ate outdoors under a mild summer sun, munching from my seafood cobb salad. She also bought me a 5.3 megapixel digital camera, which I am trying to master. So much more complicated than the old point and shoot film camera.
--Continued on page Diary2 to the left--