San Francisco is a hard act to follow......

Indeed, there has not been much going on.  Lots of bridge, at different venues: with Dennis at the bridge club the Wednesday after I got back, bridge at Dennis's house on Thursday, and back at John's - with a slightly different cast of characters on Friday.

Here we are at Dennis place....

...or, more accurately, at Minoas, the Greek taverna near his place (previously mentioned in these pages) where we had dinner before bridge.  More bridge at the club with Alex too.  You'd think with all this playing that I would be getting better, but from my scores, that doesn't appear to be the case...

Some work finally arrived on my desk, and I'm hugely grateful for it.  For all my resolve not to make work a substitute for my social life, I do miss it when I have no excuse to go in.  For all my other activities, I feel the lack of structure when I am not working....

There was some variety this week, though.  Below, bridge at John's was preceded by a cake (brought by yours truly) to celebrate his 58th birthday - a mere baby....

..from left to right, Jules, his wife Ruixa, John and Dennis above,

There have been some pure social outings too.  Friend Jack came to visit one evening, for a drink and a chin-wag.  We haven't sat down and just talked for a while, and it was good to catch up.  I also managed to find Bea without her lunch in the office, so we headed out for Japanese, and more catching up.

What else can I tell you?  Not much, really.  Reading (or, in one case, listening)?  Where did I leave you?  I don't think I have told you about How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan.  This book was another accidental find - I recognized the author, having read and liked several of his books on various sociological topics (he is a reporter by trade) , and I clicked "add to cart" on that basis only.  Turns out it a book about psychedelic drugs, and their possible use as a treatment for depression, anxiety and addiction, not to mention as a means of making "healthy normals" happier.  Who would have thought I would find that interesting?  But I did, a combination of his great writing and the fact that he is a good reader too - this was an audiobook, accompanying me on my walks these last few weeks..  

On a lighter note, just finished another Peter Robinson mystery, All the Colors of Darkness.  "Lighter" is a relative term, of course.  It was actually fairly dark for a New York Times bestseller sort of mystery.  But I do like his characters and plots, and am working my way down the list of maybe 30 that he has written.  If you are looking for a new good read, you could do worse.

Finally, I will sign off soon so I can finish The Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz.  It is definitely a page-turner, a cross between Agatha Christie and a post modern novel.  I literally have barely been able to put it down.

A parade of out-of-town guests visiting in the next few weeks.  Trying to keep them amused will keep me busier, and therefore happier; I don't do well with not enough to do, and have been pretty poopy since I've been back.  

I will try to keep you in the loop.