Taking stock

Picking up the reins again, as usual hoping to be more frequent in the days ahead.

- Today was Marjorie's birthday; she would have been 54. My thoughts continue to be about her as I try to make sense of a missing friend. She disliked birthday fuss and especially disliked the fact that it coincided with Dec. 31, so it's not as if the day is fraught with celebratory memories. But all the same, I am remembering her. Particularly after my foray a couple of weeks ago to our Belmont Road building, now a condo, now looking far better than it did in 1978. That year and all that followed were key to me.

- I'm nearing the end of a week of down-time. As always, near the end, I feel I need twice the time. Which should be signal enough.

- Just saw Michael Clayton, which was predictably good --workmanlike. Clooney, Soderbergh and their gang know how to put a solid story together. Sydney Pollack and Tom Wilkinson in particular were perfectly cast. In fact, they were all good. What's not to like about a corporate espionage story with morals?