Monday. November 26, 2001

cousin caught pie-eating

"What shelter to grow ripe is ours?
What leisure to grow wise."

Matthew Arnold, Stanzas in Memory of the Author of "Obermann"

Well, not really. It isn't normal for me to get the Monday crossword done before I go to work. But I did. Cool. And read the parts that were interesting in The Living Arts section of the Times and the Tech Monday section of the Statesman. I posted my journal, too, and started the new one. So there. Take that! Of course, I didn't get to work until 9:30. But I usually do that anyway. I looked at my e-mail at home as usual and missed what little traffic goes the wrong way on Mopac earlier.

When I woke up I was dreaming about being in school. Only I wasn't, as yet, worried about finding my books, class schedule, locker, classrooms, having a test. We were looking at dorm rooms. I was pleased with the cheap price but they didn't serve food and I thought we (there were several women there) should look for an apartment. I felt smug somehow because I hadn't been going to school all this time like some people but had been out working.

I am really lucky. We have plenty of money for anything we really want and we can pay our bills, no problem. I feel for the people without jobs. Especially young folks who really didn't have time to save money. I'm not so sympathetic with those who bought fancy houses and cars and toys and then found out that their stock options were worthless. But for those working for peanuts or not working, I do feel their pain. Oh, I sweated the next paycheck to pay the bills a few times. More than a few, probably. But I was always able to stay on top of it. Some of that is just luck. But, of course, part of it is showing up and being responsible. But I do realize that I've gotten to be profligate, see what that was like and get away with it. Over and over.

So, yeah, I'm real lucky.

We were bitching about the property tax bills today. It's amazing that they can look at the sale of the parents' house two ways. One, it relieves them of the 10% cap on increase in taxable valuation. On the other hand, they can increase the actual price paid for the valuation by twenty percent. At some point they have to quit raising valuations in a declining market. Also, we don't get any deductions on the parents' house because we bought it. Seems there ought to be some relief there somewhere. But, as I said, at least we can pay these huge amounts to live in our own homes in this great city. Renters shouldn't wonder at high rents when property owners are faced with escalating costs. Put another way, I have to pay the city/schools/county/community college about $1300/month for the privilege of living in our homes. And to think, I have to pay the city an extra two dollars to get an extra bag of trash hauled off.

When I see people struggling or read about journalers struggling with money and jobs, a part of me wants to bail them out. You can't do that for everyone, though. Not for anyone, really. It's best to try to help a few people find a way...be a big tipper or give people some work you need done anyway and pay them.

At lunch, I went to Mom and Dad's and ate some leftovers and even the last piece of holiday pie. I almost fell asleep in the easy chair but, alas, back to work.

Have you ever been in a meeting where someone was babbling and you just didn't care? Has it sometimes been you?

We had a night out testing out Fleming's. It's the newest chain steakhouse.

We met friends there. So we tried the wine by the glass service in the bar. They give you nice glassware and serve the wine in a little caraffe. My Pinot might have been stored kinda long but tasted better after a sip or two.

Our friends came and we ordered. FFP got us a bottle of Petite Syrah (Stag's Leap) and then a bottle of Duckhorn Merlot. Very tasty. I ate my entire 8 oz. filet with a little asparagus, green beans and mushrooms from the community sides. Oh, and I had a tuna appetizer and shared it with FFP so I could try his Caesar salad. And we had a cheese plate and I got a glass of late harvest something. The cheese plate was really nice with a tasty goat, a good bleu, some Cotswold and brie. Everyone nibbled a little but mostly FFP and I.

I'd give the place pretty high marks as a steak place. I prefer Jeffrey's or Zoot or Four Seasons for the style of the food, but given that steak or basic seafood is the order of the day...you could do lots worse.

I felt tired and wanted to go to sleep when we got home. And I did. I guess my arduous day of work caught up with me. Or else the days of entertaining and cleaning and such is still hanging over. I'm such a lazy, indulgent person. But I know it so that's something, right?

JUST TYPING
Work.
Takes time.
Takes over.
But we've always done it.
It's always been there.
The paycheck, too.