DeLaFuneta on Oakland

I had the pleasure of introducing Oakland City Councilman De La Funeta at the luncheon of the Piedmont-Montclair Rotary Club Friday at the beautiful Sequoyah Country Club. Mr. De La Fuenta (third from left in photo) hopes that mayor-elect Jean Quan is tough enough to manage the problems of Oakland. He questions the city being able to confront the problems. I myself think that the politicians must deal with the over paid civil servants and under funded pension funds. Many cities and states have the same problem. Americans have been over-spending and under saving for years. Now we must tighten the belt. Therefore, expect demonstrations and protests next year as we have seen in Europe. So many people feel that they have entitlements that we will have to have a serious cultural change. I remember that when I was on the Alameda County Grand Jury, we found that Highland Hospital employees had a huge sense of entitlement. This situation is made worse due to the indications that the truly rich do not want to contribute to the solution to this problem. They too think they are entitled to their yachts and mansions. I see little interest in fixing the crumbing infrastructure or educating minorities. This is how we solve the unemployment problem, not more tax cuts for the rich. On the other hand, more taxes from the poor and middle class to fund the aristocracy of the belligerent unions is proving to be unacceptable. It is too difficult to get anything positive done. This stagnation can easily lead to extremist elements. I fear for our future.

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August 3 Surgery

I am looking forward to the hip replacement surgery on August 3. I go for tests, x-rays, consultations, etc. on Tuesday, July 20. I will be in rehab for at least a month followed by limited mobility for two months. However, as soon as possible, I want to resume my walking.

I went to bed hungry again last evening. This is a small price to pay for longevity and good health. Some proof was on the scales. My weight has dropped to below 181 pounds. I need to pass the barrier of 180. The goal remains 175. I have learned that I can exist without sweets. I no longer crave ice cream and chocolate covered raisins, two of my weaknesses. I have walked for 5 of the last 6 days. The one day I missed was because I waited until afternoon, and that is the day the temperature reached over 90 degrees in Oakland. Too hot for old men walking.

We are elated that home prices in the neighborhood are rising again. Zillow.com now lists the two homes next to us over $one million. We, of course, like the rest of California, took a beating in the real estate market. A very beautiful new Tuscany home a couple of blocks from us is now on the market for $1.6 million. The views of the Bay Bridge, San Francisco, and beyond are superb. This should help all of us in the neighborhood. Eldoris wants to sell our home next year. We shall see how it goes.

Eldoris is off for Phoenix next week. This woman has to travel. She is on the road too often. Her sister Mae is just as bad. I tell her that she only uses her home as a rest stop before the next trip. There is so much to do in Oakland and the Bay Area. For example, over the 4th of July holiday, we listened to music in Jack London Square, took the ferry to San Francisco, for a promenade at the piers. I guess I am just a home body. However, I have to admire the energy of both Eldoris and Mae. They just keep on going. Most 70 years olds certainly can not keep up with Eldoris. Neither can I.

Remember. Food is the Enemy!

Mission Accomplished

A couple of weeks ago, my Kaiser doctor informed me that my glucose had hit 130, while normal is 100. This is pre-diabetic. I went on a crash diet to reduce my weight and glucose. Mission Accomplished. The lab tests late week showed a glucose reading of 93, and my weight has fallen from 191 to 182. Food is the enemy as I said in my other blog http://spaces.msn.com/OaklandSavant.

My hip replacement surgery is now scheduled for August 3. There is a chance that it could be earlier, if someone cancels. Now it seems that the knee aches more than the hip, so I will ask for a x-ray of the knee to see if it has also failed. Now I occasionally use a cane, since either the knee or hip will collapse from time to time. You may know that a person over 65 has over a 50% chance of failing in a given year. We have friends who have hurt themselves in falls. I am especially cautious in the shower. A fall could be deadly. I go to bed hungry sometimes. This is the price one has to pay.

I am entitled to a new toy since I have worked over two months as a census enumerator. So I spent $200 for a Archos 7 tablet computer. It allows me to access the internet via wi-fi, play music, video, pictures, the radio and record voice. I put together a file (My Songs) of my favorite music and it sounds great on this device. While not too much into music, I do like gadgets, which is why Eldoris says that I have a gadget fetish. That's fine as long as it does not extend into costly cars, clothes and vacations.

My friend Horace Stonework and I are planning a month-long trip to Africa next July. I want to take lots of videos and pictures to post on YouTube. There is such a dearth of information and exposure on Africa that I feel I need to make a contribution. Stay tuned.

Life is Good

This morning I received email from an old Hillside High School classmate Patricia Spaulding. She has a daughter who lives with her husband and their children live in Oakland and she was visiting. I drove over and we had an excellent conversation. I am delighted that she is so energetic and interesting. She has aged well. I took some photos, but I did not ask her if she would object to me posting them on the blog. Some people object. Calvin Holloway alerted her that Eldoris and I live in Oakland. I called him and thanked him for staying in contact. We also had a long conversation. He also has done very well. I like his idea of a high school class reunion in the Washington, D.C. area. This gives me an excuse to go to the Capitol. When we there there last time for a reunion of Teachers for East Africa, I was impressed with the huge developments and beauty. Also there so many friends who live there.

I am now working temporarily as a Census Enumerator. This job may last until August. In Oakland I was disappointed to read in a newspaper report that only 58% of reports had been returned. This is bad civic behavior. Then the politicians complain that their people are not counted. The same can be said for voting. Eldoris wants me to work so that we can have more money to travel. She loves to travel. Next week she goes to Phoenix. I am saving in order to take a three-month tour of Africa in two or three years. I will the thousands of photos and videos and post some on my blogs and YouTube. Loved our trip to South Africa. There has been tremendous progress there in recent years which is not reported in the press. Please go to www.google.com and type in African Cities. There is a series titled "The Africa You Do Not See on TV." Check it out.

It looks like I will have the other hip replacement surgery in October. Kaiser is over loaded due to us old folks. The rehab is the hard part. I am inviting my brother to spend a few weeks with us while I recover. Health is my chief concern. Good health to all.

Please visit my other blog http://spaces.msn.com/members/OaklandSavant.

Caribbean Cruise

On Wednesday, 03 March 2010, in order to celebrate Eldoris' birthday, we departed on a Caribbean cruise aboard the Serenade of the Seas. We visited first Puerto Rico and had a day long tour of San Juan, then St. Thomas,St. Croix,St. Kitts,Dominica,and finally Barbados. I tried not to eat too much good food since I have not lost the weight I acquired on the last cruise. However, I gained over five pounds. The islands depend on tourism mostly and things are expensive since almost everything has to be imported. Plus I think, like most tourist sites, they tend to soak the "rich Americans." We learned a lot about the history of the Caribbean. We were surprised how much the European powers fought over the islands for over 300 years. Also, at one time the Spanish king ordered the extermination of the Indians so the they could take over the island. We had dinner each night with a fine group of people. The crew of the ship was very hard working and made us feel like royalty.

The people of the islands are very friendly. They have relatives in the United States and they share a lot of the our history. I may post additional photos and videos at a later date, but I wanted to get something on the blog while it is fresh. Also see my other blog at http://spaces.msn.com/OaklandSavant.