Saturday, December 14, 2002

the penultimate digital camera, as sketched in a doodle when I worked and therefore doodled

the seafood trio, taken with my new camera

"Celebrity, even the modest sort that comes to writers, is an unhlepful exercise in self-consciousness."

John Updike, On Being a Self Forever

I don't want to get up this morning but I do it about 7:30 because I expect a call about dog walking at eight and I want to be upright and have that first cup of coffee when I get that call. When it comes we delay taking off for a bit but finally head out into the sparkling, beautiful day.

We park in a neighborhood called Judge's Hill where we just attended a party on Thursday night. We weave around the neighborhood, even going to the end of some dead ends. It's definitely an interesting area. We wander south from it and reach 12th and start looking for a place to have coffee. That's our euphemism for it's time to find a restroom. Although we usually have the coffee, too. We know there is a bakery on 12th but it is closed. We see an Einstein's on Lamar but the line is out the door. We are becoming a little desperate but we finally end up at CC's at 5th and Lamar. Properly relieved, rested, coffeed and fed we go back via another route. At one point there is (unknown to us, known to Zoey) a bush full of cats. She makes a break for it taking the leash. SuRu gets control of her again and we are off. After more rambling we arrive at the vehicle again. Somehow it is already 11.

Home again, I decide to go work out but first to go by the camera store. I don't change, though, but instead put some shorts in my car.

At the camera store which is having a day of demos from reps and specials I strike up a conversation with the owner. He's hawking the Pentax Optio 430RS digital camera. This is one I haven't looked at. Tiny with a allegedly long-life battery and 4 megapixels. Today he's giving away a 64MB storage card if you buy one. Only he doesn't have any so he says he'll give me a 128. Before I know it, before I've dropped off my film for processing, I've bought one. And an extra battery, too. I didn't really need this. But it's so fun. I take it home and start the battery charging and go to the club. I realize I haven't brought any tennies (I have on hiking boots) but I am too lazy to go home. I have some sport socks and I just work out in those, doing my bike and my leg machines.

Then I use the locker room. Usually I just lock things in there. Today, I strip down and turn on the steam in the steam room and sit in the cloud and think for a while, continuing the sweat I've started on the machines. Then I shower up. I use up three or four towels, sweating, drying off. Then I get dressed and dry my hair and go home. I've had the whole area completely to myself the whole time except for someone coming in to use the toilet while I dried my hair. I'm reading my book while I dry it and it comes out looking quite stupid. All the same, I decide I don't care. It's just a beautiful day outside.

I go home and fool with the camera I shouldn't have bought and FFP comes home and I confess the camera and he doesn't seem to mind.

Then I get dressed in a suit and he takes me by Bass where we (and two other couples) are giving a reception for Scott Simon, an NPR guy doing Mother Ginger for the performances of the ballet today. FFP goes to pick up Scott's entourage and I hang out with a lovely dancer who is using the floor to rest. I brought my book (The Risk Pool by Richard Russo...I'm such a slow reader) and I read a little until everyone shows up. Then I put the book down with some people's purses. I don't think I'll forget it but I do.

After the reception, I go (bookless) outside where SuRu drives up and meets me and we go to Four Seasons and go to the cafe and get a table and eat. I get a bottle of wine and we both have some. When we are done I take what remains upstairs. We meet up with our friend Steve and some friends of his who leave shortly after. Later FFP joins us and then later Scott and some of his entourage and a friend of Rebecca who has come from Chicago. I stay up too late and drink too much. FFP drives us home and I collapse into bed. It's tomorrow. On the way home I remember my book. Geez...and I couldn't wait to see what happened to those characters.

JUST TYPING
I'm busy as a bee.
Being me.
Doing things.
I choose.
How?
Wish I knew.