Crombie fishes for an ice cube.

Saturday Rich went down to the Sacramento Archives building to be part of a focus group working on a new exhibit for the Oakland museum. They want to do a big travelling show about the Viet Nam war and California. Rich and I weren't involved with California, but apparently the people wanted different war experiences anyway. He spent the day there, and they even fed him lunch.

My uncle called to find out how he's doing. That was nice. It's fairly scary to see Rich's clothes falling off of him. He weighs less than he did when we were married and people kept trying to feed him up! Now, last year, when he looked like he was due to give birth to twins any minute, I was wishing he'd lose weight. Be careful what you wish for.

Today I went off to the Sacramento Youth Symphony fall concert, leaving Rich to fall asleep in front of the football games. The first thing I did there was notice a lower rate for "seniors" so I asked what a senior was, she asked what did I think it was, but when pressed she said 55 and I happily took my discount. I got a nice seat off to one side, since I figured I didn't have to see, really. The auditorium was fairly full, maybe 500 people. Obviously, there were more people than just me who aren't parents or grandparents of the performers.

The first half Rich, who doesn't much like opera, would NOT have enjoyed. We had two arias each from a tenor, mezzo-soprano, baritone, and soprano. The mezzo looked a lot like my Mom did in the 40s, before she gained so very much weight. And she sang a Carmen aria and I surprised myself by bursting into tears. Mom loved Carmen. The soprano looked a lot like our neighbor down the street. The upper notes were true but weak, but she was good, and the two men also were fantastic. They finished with a quartet from Rigoletto. Made me want to go to the Opera!

The concert master was a young Russian lad, which was nice. After the intermission, though, he yielded his seat to the soloist.

Then the second half was Scheherezade which I have always liked. The director explained how the young woman, the soloist, had the story-teller's part. Suddenly the music made sense. I loved watching her. I wouldn't have ever been good enough for the last chair in the second violin section, but I always enjoyed those with more talent and dedication. I especially was interested in her bowing, (BOW-ing, like a violin bow, not the bow like a curtsey that finished the concert!) for two reasons: it was different from the way I learned, and also, I was shoulder conscious. I'd had to take off my sweater during the first half, and a woman seated behind me helped. I have a new life rule, don't have hot flashes and sore shoulders at the same time!

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In her column of last week about George W. Bush, Susan Collins says "Now a truly cynical person might say that Mr. Bush's background would prove useful only if Congress decides to start behaving like the Texas legislature and meet every other year. "

We can dream!

You can go chat about the Person of the Century at TIME. I'm assuming you don't have to like him, and my vote would go for Hitler. I think he was responsible for more headlines, changed (or destroyed) lives, and inventions than anyone else in the last 100 years.

Finally, Jim Hoagland says re: Clinton, "he's always there when he needs you." Getting it right with China: "But achieving that goal requires Clinton to put reality before legacy, national interests before vanity. This is when history needs him, not vice versa."

What are the chances of that?