The Visible Woman...April 16, 2003

slow start

Barely got myself going at 7:30. Downloaded some pictures, wrote some e-mail...kept thinking I should get to the gym before my tennis clinic and get my weight lifting done. Finally it's 9am.

I do go to the club, taking my tennis clothes and wearing some old gray shorts and TShirt. I ride the bike for ten minutes. I'm thinking I don't have time to do my routine. I see this gal who played this weekend getting on a bike. I ask her if she is going to play. "Maybe the clinic tomorrow," she says.

Turns out she doesn't know it's Wednesday, thinks it's Thursday. But she says the thing starts at 10:30and I was thinking ten and had written ten on my (busy) calendar. So I do have time to do it except for the abs (I hate those and find any excuse not to do them) and the cool down on the bike. I will have time for a shower before tennis. Yea.

I do pretty well on my free weights and machines, grab a shower, put on tennis clothes and get there early. The drills are pretty fun and then it's nearly noon.

I go by Cooper's to see about buying a leg of lamb for my dad to give to his friend to cook for all of us for Easter dinner. He wants it boned and tied. They say they'll do it if I come back later. I say 1:30.

I go home, grab a little cheese and salami out of the frig, listen to FFP tell me a small task to do later today or tomorrow, grab a shower, finish A Geography of Saints and go get the leg of lamb and go to Dad's. See how easy it is to fill your day with trivial things? Heck you can take a couple of showers, that takes time.

So, yeah, I buy a leg of lamb, deboned and tied so Dad can give it to his friend to cook for Easter.

I take the leg of lamb to Dad's. I finish off poking through one closet, putting a bunch of stuff back for possibly giving my sister. I must ask her if she wants me to dispose of any of the miniature making stuff. A friend of mine drops by to borrow the wheelchairs that we have, an old heavy one my grandmother used and a transport chair we bought for my mother and she probably never really used.

On the way home, I go by World Market to buy some orange label Veuve Cliquot. At home, I help FFP with some of his business stuff (and I use the term loosely). I grab a snack of cheese and some ripe olives. Oh, and I had a Cherry Coke at Dad's. (You have a wonderful diet, Ms. Ball.)

I've made a dinner reservation for us and two other couples at Mansion at Judge's Hill. You know Austin? Remember the place that looked like a columned mansion at Rio Grande and MLK (aka 19th)? Well, it's a hotel and restaurant now.

I don't think we really needed a reservation. The place is nearly empty. We are early so we look around. Some people we know who office across the street are having a drink on the porch.

Our friends finally make it. We have a pretty good meal. I have a chilled asparagus and watercress soup and a vegetarian entrée that has a fried polenta with cauliflower and these wonderful little skinned and cooked tomatoes. I eat a bit of FFP's beef. I foolishly order a dessert I can't finish. The place has about three other customers the whole time we are there. We ask to see a room and they show us a nice, antique-filled corner room that opens out to a huge balconey it shares with all the other rooms facing MLK.

It's a nice place. I'm sure that it will be full for football weekends and big UT things. Right now, though, the dining room in the evening (which isn't that big) is desserted.

Getting people together is always interesting. The people we invited didn't know each other. They seemed to get on well enough, I guess. I always have a little trouble talking to both couples. We are in different places in our lives or something. But I really like both couples and find their lives interesting so I make the effort anyway.

some of the tools of Mom's 'trades' sold yesterday

"Cheese - milk's leap toward immortality."

Clifton Fadiman

JUST TYPING
a day when you can
exercise
play tennis
clean out a closet for Dad
do a favor for a friend
have good food with your buddies
is not wasted

			slow start Barely got myself going at 7:30. Downloaded some pictures, wrote some e-mail...kept thinking I should get to the gym before my tennis clinic and get my weight lifting done. Finally it's 9am. I do go to the club, taking my tennis clothes and wearing some old gray shorts and TShirt. I ride the bike for ten minutes. I'm thinking I don't have time to do my routine. I see this gal who played this weekend getting on a bike. I ask her if she is going to play. "Maybe the clinic tomorrow," she says. Turns out she doesn't know it's Wednesday, thinks it's Thursday. But she says the thing starts at 10:30and I was thinking ten and had written ten on my (busy) calendar. So I do have time to do it except for the abs (I hate those and find any excuse not to do them) and the cool down on the bike. I will have time for a shower before tennis. Yea. I do pretty well on my free weights and machines, grab a shower, put on tennis clothes and get there early. The drills are pretty fun and then it's nearly noon. I go by Cooper's to see about buying a leg of lamb for my dad to give to his friend to cook for all of us for Easter dinner. He wants it boned and tied. They say they'll do it if I come back later. I say 1:30. I go home, grab a little cheese and salami out of the frig, listen to FFP tell me a small task to do later today or tomorrow, grab a shower, finish A Geography of Saints and go get the leg of lamb and go to Dad's. See how easy it is to fill your day with trivial things? Heck you can take a couple of showers, that takes time. So, yeah, I buy a leg of lamb, deboned and tied so Dad can give it to his friend to cook for Easter. I take the leg of lamb to Dad's. I finish off poking through one closet, putting a bunch of stuff back for possibly giving my sister. I must ask her if she wants me to dispose of any of the miniature making stuff. A friend of mine drops by to borrow the wheelchairs that we have, an old heavy one my grandmother used and a transport chair we bought for my mother and she probably never really used. On the way home, I go by World Market to buy some orange label Veuve Cliquot. At home, I help FFP with some of his business stuff (and I use the term loosely). I grab a snack of cheese and some ripe olives. Oh, and I had a Cherry Coke at Dad's. (You have a wonderful diet, Ms. Ball.) I've made a dinner reservation for us and two other couples at Mansion at Judge's Hill. You know Austin? Remember the place that looked like a columned mansion at Rio Grande and MLK (aka 19th)? Well, it's a hotel and restaurant now. I don't think we really needed a reservation. The place is nearly empty. We are early so we look around. Some people we know who office across the street are having a drink on the porch. Our friends finally make it. We have a pretty good meal. I have a chilled asparagus and watercress soup and a vegetarian entrée that has a fried polenta with cauliflower and these wonderful little skinned and cooked tomatoes. I eat a bit of FFP's beef. I foolishly order a dessert I can't finish. The place has about three other customers the whole time we are there. We ask to see a room and they show us a nice, antique-filled corner room that opens out to a huge balconey it shares with all the other rooms facing MLK. It's a nice place. I'm sure that it will be full for football weekends and big UT things. Right now, though, the dining room in the evening (which isn't that big) is desserted. Getting people together is always interesting. The people we invited didn't know each other. They seemed to get on well enough, I guess. I always have a little trouble talking to both couples. We are in different places in our lives or something. But I really like both couples and find their lives interesting so I make the effort anyway.

	some of the tools of Mom's 'trades' sold yesterday "Cheese - milk's leap toward immortality." Clifton Fadiman
	JUST TYPING a day when you can exercise play tennis clean out a closet for Dad do a favor for a friend have good food with your buddies is not wasted

Wednesday, April 16, 2003