Trees and Spire --- Day 12/34

Walk:West Portal

Distance: 3.5 miles

Old Monterey Cypress Trees along a Presidio Path to Andy Goldworthy's Spire

So, with all the felled ones around the city from the unrelenting and torrential winds and rain a few weeks ago, Ciwt is thinking about trees.  Their long lives and what they endure during them.  

The ones above are in the San Francisco Presidio, now a National Park. They were once part of a stand of Monterey cypress planted near the San Francisco National Cemetery by the U.S. Army in the 1880's. When they went in the grounds of the Presidio were scrub and sand, there was no other trees in sight.  When planted, Ciwt is guessing the branches began about 8 feet off the ground, and the trees probably stood approximately 20 feet at most. Because they are a rare tree only found around Monterey at the time, they would have been brought up the coast by horse drawn wagon.  And they they would have been selected because they are resistant to wind and salt and can form natural barriers against strong sea winds. 

It's likely there would have been protesters to greet them at their arrival at the Army base because this was the beginning of Major William Jone's plan to create a forest within the Presidio, and, as with most changes there were many vocal detractors.  Luckily for the millions who have enjoyed the Presidio treees since then, the dissenters didn't prevail.

But, unfortunately, due to lack of knowledge about the root system of Monterey cypress, the trees were overplanted, have weakened and reached the end of their natural live spans.  In response the Presidio Trust has been raising young Monterey cypresses from seed and begun an ongoing thinning and replanting program to restore the forest. Since 2003 more than 40 acres have been restored and 5,000 young trees have been replanted, much to the pleasure it seems to many bird species, coyotes and other wildlife and vegetation.

Also several of the trees that have been thinned or fallen during powerful winter storms have actually found second lives as benches, fences and, most prominently, Andy Goldworthy's Spire, the first of the internationally acclaimed artist's four wood artworks in the Presidio.

Bad Hair Day Party Attire.... --- Day 12/33

Walk: Monday errands

Distance: 4 miles, Yoga

Viktor & Rolf, Pastel Gown,
from their recent Parisian Haute Couture Show titled Late Stage Capitalism Walttz

Game Day --- Day 12/32

Walk: Mollie Stones (grocery) for snacks, Drive to Sausalito for 49ers game*

Distance: 1 mile

Normal Home Size TV Screen These Days

So Ciwt's largest TV screen is 36". 

Ha Ha Ha, she knows.  Laughable these days when most people's screens are anywhere from 50" to wall size to entire room size probably.  

But today the 49ers are in their final playoff game so Ciwt isn't messing around.  A friend who knows just about every nuance and fact about just about every sport and has several Huge screens has invited her to his place.  So she'll drive across the Golden Gate bridge to join him and all the others around the country who will be cheering or knashing their teeth in front of their Entertainment Centers.

Then it will be back across the bridge to her fuddy duddy 36" screen 👎 hopefully to watch the 49ers in the Super Bowl in a couple of weeks.

* Game over.  boring, boring, Boring on every screen.

Time To Retire? --- Day 12/31

Walk: SF Ballet

Distance: 4 miles

Jeopardy! Hosts Over the Years: Art Fleming, Alex Trebek, Ken Jennings

Loyal CIWT readers (thank you) and friends know that Ciwt is a long time Jepoardy! fan who even went down to Universal City to a taping of the show.*  So she is often sent the occasional articles questioning whether the game should be retired. She received one written by a former big time Jeopardy! winner just today, and, for those who might be curious, this is her response to the sender:

No question he's right about how changing the 5-game limit changed the game.  And I've heard from actual contestants that it is more daunting than the viewer realizes to get used to the buzzer, the general noise and commotion, the lights and relax into being able to play the game.  So the winner who has already had experience with these things definitely has an advantage - thus setting up streaks.  I don't know if there is anything they can do to even out those things.

They definitely know this, and several years ago made a change that helped quite a bit.  They began interviewing the contestants half way through the 1st round.  They used to go all the way through the round before giving the contestants an opportunity to talk, and by then the new ones were often so behind and so anxious they couldn't recover momentum.  You often see contestants now relaxing, gaining confidence, even going ahead and winning after their personal talk with the host has grounded them.

A factor beyond Jeopardy! runnerrs' control is the human brain.  It gets tired and that often stops streaks. Competition and tension, being away from home and other circumstances are wearing and you can see some contestants on streaks struggling to maintain a competitive edge. Often by their last round, they just don't have the stamina.  It looked to me like that's what happened to Matt for instance.

Overall, no, I don't think it is time to retire Jeopardy!.  It is still an excellent game - for trivia buffs at least - full of surprises and amazement at the range of facts and experiences some people - ordinary people - have lived,  learned and retained in a vast array of subjects. And their lives are often interesting, heartwarming, expanding to hear about. Not to mention how composed they can be losing or winning in front of millions. Games evolve: most athletes these days are much! more buff, have been focused with high power trainers since childhood, in general people are larger, equipment is more sophisticated, etc.  Likewise, Jeopardy! has evolved.  

*See Days 297, 298 and 299 way back in 2012

And Ciwt's Award Goes To... --- Day 12/30

Walk: Day of Rest.  Drive to Presidio Social Club

Distance: .8 miles

A few of the personas Michelle Yeoh brought to outrageous life in Everything Everywhere All At Once

Okay, now Ciwt can let you know her thoughts about Everything Everywhere All At Once.  

She found it an incredibly clever, fast-moving (to say the least) send up of Kung Fu movies, aspects of Chinese family culture, aspects of all families: marriage, children, in-laws, traditions, money and probably myriad other things.  But after 90 minutes (of 132) she had enough of the slapstick, and wasn't particularly interested in what the grand finale might be.  So she walked out early past everyone else who stayed. 

If Michelle Yeoh had been standing at the door on Ciwt's way out,  and if Ciwt  had happened to be carrying an Oscar Statuette, she would have happily presented it to Ms. Yeoh for Best Actress.  The movie, beyond being skillfully acted by Ms. Yeoh, is in many ways an homage to her and her many roles over a long career.  So, Ciwt thinks give her the Oscar: No Question None At All Period.

Best Picture, NO, NO, NO.   

Nothing No Way Not Ciwt --- Day 12/29

Walk: 4-Star Theater (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

Distance: 6 miles

Ciwt's great movie going friend and her husband have tickets for Everything Everywhere All At Once tomorrow afternoon, so Ciwt promised she wouldn't say - or write - a thing about it before then.   Stay tuned.....

Beyond Words --- Day 12/28

Walk: AMC Kabuki (Women Talking)

Distance: 4 miles

Ciwt didn't think Women Talking was her kind of movie.  All that quiet and, well, just women talking.  But its Academy Award Best Picture nomination and its high Rotten Tomatoes ratings got her to the theater today.

And, like the Mad Hatter, she'll begin at the stirring ending of Women Talking.  You don't see its impact coming -  or at least Ciwt didn't as she listened to the various arguments made by the Mennonite women in the movie.  The decision they were required to make was of the utmost importance and consequence and each woman offered her thoughts with precision and passion.  Articulate words, well reasoned and sensible but they didn't stick with Ciwt particularly.  What did stick without her realizing it was the cumulative effect of  the bedrock and courageous place the women were talking coming from. Quietly, Writer-Director Sarah Polley takes that effect to nearly magic dignified magnificance.

Another Difference Between Cats and Dogs --- Day 12/27

Walk: Union Street

Distance: 2.5 miles 

Dogs are more relaxed when they type...

 

Relaxed or intense, Ciwt would have loved some pet help filling out her Real Estate Seller Disclosure Forms.  But, she slogged through and finished today (hopefully)