Now that you mention it, I think there were actually two theatres. One on south La Brea and another in the Crenshaw district (in what was still a significantly Japanese neighborhood). I never went to the bowling alley sushi place. There was another on Sawtelle (was it called Ono?) where we used to go. At that time sushi was virtually unknown, as I remember it. Nice to know you are another hometown kid. LA has changed so much. Bill

I would be very upset with someone who knowingly exposed me to Covid without warning me. Bill

What's also great, is the film Seven Samurai, the Akira Kurosawa film upon which the Magnificent Seven was based. One of my favorite films of all time. Toshiro Mifune was fantastic in the lead role. When I was a kid, growing up in the 1960s here in Los Angeles, there was a little theater in a Japanese neighborhood in our city that only showed Japanese films. My dad would take me along to see all the films by Kurosawa and many other Japanese directors as they were released. There was a sushi restaurant nearby where we'd go to eat afterwards. In those days "sushi" was virtually unknown among gaijin, like myself, but I always liked it. Bill

I should really go back and rewatch some of the classic Westerns. Shane. Stagecoach. The Ox-bow Incident. And many more. I did work with Clint Eastwood from the time "The William Munny Killings" was in pre-production (Clint gave me a script to read for my input) all the way through it winning the Academy Award for Best Picture/Best Director under its new title: Unforgiven. That was fun. Bill

Dogs are amazing creatures. They have noses and ears that sense danger in ways that are beyond our comprehension. Bill

Yep. Bill

Scary. Glad you are okay. Bill

Funny how things work out like that sometimes. Bill

I'm all for trying to find the root cause. Separation anxiety (husband's absence) is a distinct possibility. Hence the sweaty t-shirt recommendation, which I would still advocate trying. A dog's protective/fear instincts can fluctuate depending on the situation, and who is around and who is absent. Separation anxiety is real, and it could make other factors, like coyotes and other wildlife, seem more threatening. It may be a multifactorial issue, and I expect so. Bill

I was struggling to say something similar, as I did not want to perpetuate "alpha dog" nonsense; however, it is not unreasonable that the dog would feel her safety (or need to defend the family) was different with the husband being absent. Bill

So I turned on my Sunday morning show (This Week) and I saw Pope Francis say, "I'm still alive," and I thought, "I'm right there with you buddy!" Bill (<--actively caffeinating)

I'm in the foothills, with canyons and wild areas above. We've always had coyotes. But in recent years the pressure on them seems to have increasingly driven them to seek food in neighborhoods. Chester has always gone wild. I remember when he was just a puppy and we drove past a coyote who was out during daylight hours, I though the puppy might go through the window--his actions were that expreme. This is a dog who is unfailingly kind to other dogs and never agressive. But coyote make him blind with rage. Like a switch flips. Bill

If you have coyotes and the dog needs to go out at night, I'd consider the purchase of one of those insanely bright high-lumen flashlights that can be had now on Amazon for about $30. Those torches light up yard and would dazzle and deter coyotes. Bill

Yep. And I know my (otherwise sweet) dog would fall for the trick. Coyotes make his brain snap. Bill

Our Chester is generally a good sleeper at night, but when the coyotes are out (which is becoming increasingly common) he goes insane. Coyotes are a serious threat. Bill

A little out of the box, but how about a taking a cruddy old t-shirt that your husband can do a sweaty workout in (to pick up his scent) and then tossing it into the crate on nights he's not home? Dogs are very scent oriented. Worth a try I think. Bill

Have you tried covering the crate with a blanket or similar that would black it out at night? Bill

I'm still with you. As of today, I have a brand new Hi-Res recording of Wagner's Siegfried from the famous Georg Solti/John Culshaw studio Ring Cycle from 1962 on Decca. For this release Decca has gone back to the master tapes. The Das Rheingold and Die Walküre (Parts I and II) were very nice sonic upgrades. I planned to take in Siegfried (Part III) tonight. And I figure if it's my time, then listening to the Der Ring des Nibelungen wouldn't be a bad way to go. However, I'd really rather go out listening to Part IV in the cycle, Götterdämmerung--it is the "Twilight of the Gods after all, Valhalla burns, and it's when the Fat Lady Sings (literally). But the remastered Götterdämmerung hasn't been released yet. Soon, but not tonight. So I have one more thing to live for. Bill (thinking positively)

I ate some pasta. If Mrs Spy Car were in town she never would have allowed this to happen. Desmond is back on my lap--where else?--grooming himself. I need to pull through for his sake. Bill

I just took a blood pressure reading just in case. It's not looking good for me. Oh dear. Oh dear. Bill

Oh crud. I just realized that I never had any coffee today. I don't think I've had a day without coffee in 20, maybe 30 years. More than that? I wonder if I'll be okay? Paging Dr Hive. If this is my last post, at least you will know why. Why? Why? Why? Bill (who isn't addicted, or anything)

Sounds like a prefect drink on every level. Bill

Is this a trick question? Bill

BTW, vinegar never goes bad. More technically, pasteurized vinegar, such as your rice wine vinegar, never goes bad. Vinegar that has an active mother will keep fermenting, and that it will decrease the acidity eventually. But your commercial rice vinegar isn't expired. Use it w/o concern. Bill

Truthfully? I'm a bit of a softy (don't tell anyone), so the resistance to adding another animal was a bit of a front on my part. And I knew exactly who would end up being "the cat person" in the family. It has been a wonderful experience. Blessed to have him in the family. We've bonded. He's really sweet. And just enough of an "alley cat" to be interesting. OMG, he just leap off my lap to see that Chester is barking at. Perhaps I can finally eat, brush my teeth, make some coffee, or sumpin? Better act swiftly Bill