The Visible Woman...June 28, 2003

Start cleaning out. Finish a book.

My start at cleaning stuff out was a fitful one at best. My garage (and the storage room and the storage shed) needs cleaning out desparately. I decided to start by washing up a pile of rags. When you are cleaning rags are necessary. These had been used or had just sat there in the dirty garage. It's a tiny step. But I did it. I have a bunch of clean rags to dirty up in my cleaning and sorting and discarding.

I finished Peter the Great. I guess it was appropriate to finish it on the anniversary of his most glorious victory at Poltava. Except, really, it was after midnight when I finished it. To be honest. But it's finished and a new book will be chosen from those crowding around here for my attention.

Life's full of change and some of the changes are marked by beginnings and ending, some ceremonious, others casual. There is a little excitement in each one, however mundane. And yet there is comfort in that which continues and seems not to change.

Saturday, June 28, 2003

A Journal from Austin, Texas. A Project of LBFFP Stealth Publishing.
food	reading	writing	time	exercise	health and mood

Books I might read...but there are many others in contention	just (start to) do it, just finish it Beginning and ending is my theme of the day. I guess. Start cleaning out. Finish a book. My start at cleaning stuff out was a fitful one at best. My garage (and the storage room and the storage shed) needs cleaning out desparately. I decided to start by washing up a pile of rags. When you are cleaning rags are necessary. These had been used or had just sat there in the dirty garage. It's a tiny step. But I did it. I have a bunch of clean rags to dirty up in my cleaning and sorting and discarding. I finished Peter the Great. I guess it was appropriate to finish it on the anniversary of his most glorious victory at Poltava. Except, really, it was after midnight when I finished it. To be honest. But it's finished and a new book will be chosen from those crowding around here for my attention. Life's full of change and some of the changes are marked by beginnings and ending, some ceremonious, others casual. There is a little excitement in each one, however mundane. And yet there is comfort in that which continues and seems not to change.
JUST TYPING Begin. Finish. Each a little glorious. And a little sad.
		Food Diary. A salad with spinach, almonds, dried cherries, green onions, tomatoes and a fatty dressing and mozzarella cheese. About three ounces of salmon with lemon and capers. (Dad dropped by so I shared my portion.) A vodka gimlet. A small corn, cheese, jalapeno muffin, butter, a couple of pieces of that crispy stuff they have in the bread basket, more butter, a small piece of bread and, yes, more butter. A seafood trio appetizer at Four Seasons. (This is some tuna tartare, a large scallop with a dressing and some smoked salmon.) A glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Venison medallions with risotto. Taste of FFP's lamb. Part of a glass of Cab. (I shared with FFP.) A few chips and cheese. [Ed. note: What am I trying to do with this food diary? I'm not trying to give exact amounts, complete descriptions, etc. I am trying to give myself an idea of what I eat, enhance my observation of eating and food. I don't plan to count calories or nutrients or whatever but I do plan to try to pay attention. I'm well aware of the 'problems' with this diet. However, if I die early or live to be 110, perhaps this vague food diary and my exercise record would give scientists some pause. Finally, although I don't always mention it lots of water and black coffee gets consumed. Lots. I try to record drinks with calories or even those with strange chemicals, like diet soda.]
		Time flies.... I spent a fair amount of time reading and goofing off today. The day just disappeared.

		Reading. Finished Peter the Great When a book takes this long, you sort of hate to give it up. Although starting a new (maybe shorter!) book is such a pleasure. There is so much detail in this biography that you feel like you've been told every meal he ate and every change of clothes, not to mention the changes in troop strengths of all the combatants in the wars and the tax levies that supported them. The detail adds up to something, though, and one has a feeling for the Russia that came after this era.
		Tomorrow I'm going to write something.
		Exercise Fifty-six minutes on the bike going nowhere and ab and lower back stuff. About ten or twelve very, very slow laps in the pool.
	.	mood was pretty good physically feeling great