Sunday, December 22, 2002

Chalow checks out some permanent grafitti

"What can be done about the problems that beset our life? Nothing can be done, and nothing needs to be done."

David Mamet, Writing in Restaurants, 1989

It is not enough to be h

First, it's time for a dog walk. SuRu suggests that we walk to the CC's Coffee Shop on 38th and back.

When we get to CC's we aren't ready to eat, drink coffee and go to the bathroom so we go south a little down by the creek and trail and come back to it. I have coffee and a scone and then we walk back. It didn't seem far but we walked about three or three and a half miles I figure. We talk about a plan to walk all the way to Sixth Street. We decide that we will take our cars down there, leave SuRu's then walk down there to the car. I know, I know. At least we drive fuel-efficient Hondas.

When I get home from the walk I have to clean out the refrigerators. We are having people over tomorrow and then my dad and FFP's parents on Christmas Eve so we need space in the refrigerators for food. I don't do the most thorough job ever but I do get all the dead leftovers out (only one had fuzz) and queue up the good leftovers for eating for dinner. It's always amusing to see what condiments we have used part of and stuck in the frig. I find three bottles of partly used capers, for example. We have a refrigerator outside, mostly for drinks. There are a few condiments in it, left behind when we had a failure on the inside refrigerator. (This resulted in the inside refrigerator's freezer getting cleaned out well!) After this effort, I think I've made room for the holiday food although we may have to move some of the drinks around. I wash up the piles of Tupperware and other refrigerator containers.

Before I know it, it's about four. I go to the club and do the stationery bike and my leg exercises. I've noticed that it takes more and more to make me feel like I've really exercised.

I stop at Randall's and buy the rest of the holiday groceries. Fresh vegies mostly. Milk in case people want it in coffee. Extra bag of chips and hot sauce. Frozen spinach and cottage cheese for my casserole. I expect to see people with frozen turkeys and dressing mixes and flour and baking powder. But most of the other patrons are buying sodas (they are on sale) and beer and chips and frozen dinners or box dinner 'helpers.' Years past, I'd have trouble finding frozen spinach because other people had holiday recipes for dips and casseroles and bought it up. There is plenty. I don't think my sample is quite large enough to draw a conclusion, but it may be that there are going to be some Austinites who simply drink their Shiner Bock and wish they had a job.

When I get home and put the groceries away, FFP leaves for ballet duty. I use the time to put together his surprise gift. Or one of them. There is still the possibility of 'shopping' for books among our 'stacks.'

While making the gift, I watch Martin Scorcese's Casino which, I think, is a pretty bad movie. I'm not a big fan of mob stuff, though. I give up before the end and watch Nightmare Before Christmas while trying to get through the papers.

JUST TYPING
At the store.
I thought I'd see people buying turkeys and sweet potatoes.
I saw Shiner. And Dr. Pepper.
And chips.