1986-07 (July)

Tuesday, July 1st[1986] Up at 6:20; cereal till Sarah got here; then regular breakfast.Played + studied (Dent) Mozart’s Idomeneo, looking toward a two 90-min. cassette recording sooner or later. Ellen Fisher’s for a cannelloni dinner; Mike + Bickie McDonnel, Bryan + Mary Ann Eagle fellow guests. Superb food—superber wine: Mouton Rothschild 1909. House by midnight. Diet wiped out.

Wednesday, July 2nd[1986] After breakfast, drove to Seessels; got two large strip sirloins for dinner—to go with two thirds full bottle of last night’s Mouton; also potatoes + fresh spinach; small can of “tiny” shrimp for future as pie. Walked 11/2; played Britten’s Cello symphony—not good walking music. Cooked steaks for dinner, while gwyn did spinach en brauche + baked a potatoe. The mouton was as good as the night before, maybe better.

Thursday, July 3rd[1986] After breakfast, drove to Opus 2, got two 90-min. cassettes + one 120-min; latter for Beethoven early quartets, Op. 18/1-4, 6.Back home, found Cybill’s Shoals Creek contract from Rosen. Signed + returned it. Completed recording of five quartets by 4 oclock. Then went for my walk—2 miles; played Beethoven Qt. 8.Late in day, Opus 2 called because my cassette had been repaired successfully; cost, $45. I didn’t want to breastlate traffic, willwait till Monday to pick it up. Lean Cuisine; miserable exploitation of Statue of Liberty centennial celebration. Cut TV off; came back + played new Beethoven cassette recorded today.

Friday, July 4th[1986] Fourth of July; Centennial of Statue of Liberty—being exploited to the fullest. “Tall Ships” in New York harbor; Reagan + Mitterand25on governors island.I spent morning + most of afternoon recording Mozart’s Idomeneoon two 90-min. cassettes. Packaged, for mailing to Walker, a photo of Margaret Kirk at about age 19; joked with him in a note about losing his “lickerish eye” now that he’s past 70. Skipped walk; played Britten’s Cello Sonata. Late movie, “Mask,” with Chen. Not bad. Followed by a one-hour special on Steve McQueen.We have been in this house—542 East Parkway south—exactly twenty years today.

Saturday, July 5th[1986] Poison Ivy back of both knees for past two days. Went to Super D; got a gel (supposedly with Cortizone) called “Rhuli gel,” said to be effective treatment, better than Caladryl, which so far has done no good. Mailed M. Kirk, 19, to Walker.Read Book I(Lilliput) of gulliver’s Travels. First time in more than 30 years. Instead of walking, moved courtyard + front curbside grass. Hot work. Must get a yardman. Bought large redfish filet at Lipsey’s; cooked it for dinner, pan-fried; beer instead ofwine. Turned out well. Sort of showdown argument with gwyn, but useless except as an example of its very uselessness.